How to “Interrogate urban planning systems”

Posted by Christoph on Jan 12, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments

A very nice set of “interview questions” I came across while reading the Global Report on Human Settlements 2009:

• Does the planning system recognize, and have the ability to respond to, current and impending environ- mental and natural resource issues and natural hazards and threats in ways that promote sustainability? Does it provide for the recognition of the ecological consequences of all urban projects?

• Does the planning system recognize, and have the ability to promote social justice – in particular, to be participatory, pro-poor, redistributive, gender sensitive and inclusive and to acknowledge the important role of informality? Linked to this, does it have the ability to promote global charters such as the MDGs?

• Is the planning system backed up by, and aligned with, progressive national constitutions and international agreements on human and environmental justice? Can it recognize the ‘rights’ of urban dwellers to the city?

• Does the planning system fit within the constitutional allocation of powers and functions?

• Does the planning system recognize, and have the ability to respond to, cultural, socio-economic and spatial diversity at all scales?

• Does the planning system facilitate and encourage open and ongoing public dialogue between various partners and groupings on planning processes and outcomes? Are the outcomes of such dialogues clearly translated into planning documents and regulations?

• Does the planning system facilitate urban built forms and infrastructural systems that are environmentally urban challenges and the need to revisit urban planning sustainable and supportive of local livelihoods and social inclusion? Can the system recognize and support the making of ‘places’ that reflect local identity, cultures and needs?

• Does the planning system acknowledge the important role played by informality, including slums and informal settlements, in many cities? Is it able to be sufficiently flexible to act on the opportunities presented by infor- mal practices and groups and by community-based organizations (CBOs) and NGOs?

• Is there sustained support for the planning system from government, from politicians, from the business sector and from both wealthy and poor communities? Has it been adopted for sound reasons and not because it has been imposed by outside donor or aid agencies, or inter- national consultants?

• Can the planning system cope with the need for both greater and lesser degrees of flexibility – for example, to be able to implement firm controls where the need for protection (of the environment, heritage, etc.) and social inclusion exist, or where market externalities occur, and to be more flexible where population and economic factors are rapidly changing?

• Does the planning system have the ability to promote (e.g. achieve local economic development and slum upgrading) as well as control? This implies that it does not just present a future vision, but can also take steps to reach it?

• Does the planning system consider plan and implemen- tation as interrelated processes, linked to budgets and decision-making systems (i.e. it does not just present a future vision but can also take steps to reach it)?

• Is there alignment and synergy between directive and strategic spatial plans and the system of land laws and land-use management? Is there a mechanism for this linkage?

• Is there alignment and synergy between urban plans and broader institutional visions that may be captured in public documents such as a CDS?

• Is the planning system institutionally located and embedded so that it can play an effective role in terms of spatial coordination and promotion of policies, and implementation?

• Is there recognition that urban planning systems have limitations in terms of achieving all of the above, and that properly aligned and integrated national and regional plans and policies are extremely important in terms of achieving well-performing urban areas?

• Does the planning system include an approach to monitoring and evaluating urban plans, including clear indicators of plan success? Do institutions have the capacity and resources to undertake this task?

• Are there close linkages between planning practice, the professional organizations of planning, and the planning education systems? Do the planning education systems have the capacity and resources to produce sufficient skilled graduates, who are in touch with current issues and practices?