Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 3.8 The 'Red Octopus' scenario
Source: van der Meer (1998: 13)
Since the mid-1980s the terms 'vision' and 'visioning' have become very
popular in planning practice and theory worldwide. Yet they are often not clearly
defined in the planning literature, but cover a variety of strategic planning techniques
and 'products' (Shipley and Newkirk, 1999). The word 'vision' generally refers to a
predicted future state of affairs, perhaps a desired outcome in the long term, and
increasingly, in recognition of past failures to predict, to a vision of the future that can
be 'invented' (Shipley, 2002). Shipley and Newkirk (1999) have suggested a cate-
gorisation of functions of visions in planning, and in particular four of these models
are useful for the analysis of spatial visions at national and transnational scale:
The vision as master plan , which provides a view of what the region will be
like in x years' time. The vision may incorporate the views of a wide range of
interests and thus present a collective view of goals and objectives on the
spatial structure and development patterns. Similar to any other master plan,
these visions tend to concentrate on physical development, with maps clearly
setting out the future spatial distribution of different land use functions and
connections between them.
The vision as the truth is an authoritative forecast of what the region will be
like in x years' time. The purpose is to stimulate action, and therefore many
such visions are 'worst-case scenarios'.
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