DEMOS report identifies conflicting demands to urban planners 13-02-2007 A consortium of building and planning stakeholders calls for a radical
revaluation of the planning profession. The report ‘Future Planners:
Propositions for the next age of planning’ argues that old-fashioned notions of
private and public value have led to planners having to manage competing demands
of economic progress and environmental sustainability. To succeed and thrive,
the profession must bridge this gap. To do this they must use resources from the
private and public sectors, local communities and NGOs, to create places that
people care for and enjoy, planning areas and neighbourhoods which flourish
while protecting the environment.
The report is based on research done by the think tank Demos; 00:/; and the
Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). It has had input and support from the
Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS); English Partnerships; and the
Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
Demos researcher Peter Bradwell is one of the authors of the report. He said:
“Planners have to cope with a public that wants mobile phones but hates
mobile phone masts, a public which worries increasingly about global warming but
frequently objects to climate-friendly wind turbines proposed near their homes.
Is it because they are irrelevant bureaucrats? No. In truth, they are often best
placed to be able to ensure places match immediate public interest, with long
term sustainability”
The report argues that this complex set of demands will only be met through
planners becoming champions of the public value of place, mediating between
contrasting interests.
One of the more radical proposals is the use of citizen juries, to aid
controversial planning decisions, drawn from a national UK pool in order to
avoid 'NIMBYism'.
Report co-author Indy Johar said:
“Being a planner isn’t about stopping people influencing what happens, but
helping those opinions be heard. Citizen’s panels can be great forums for
combining expert knowledge with the wishes of people whose lives planning
decisions affect.”
CPRE Planning Campaigner and report co-author Paul Miner said:
“It’s about time we had a serious debate about the role of land in society
today. Far too often planners are seen as the cause of policy failures, a
perception that is far from the truth. The fact is that skilled planners are
needed if we’re to face the challenges of sustaining economic growth, promoting
social justice and improving environmental quality”
Future Planners argues that planners need to play four broad roles:
The report also makes a wide range of proposals to achieve:
Source: DEMOS LinksFor more information, please visit the DEMOS website Files back |
