Urban planning, local democracy and globalisation: the experience in three world cities

O artigo analisa o impacto da globalização económica no planeamento urbano. Demonstra como as cidades se encontram a interiorizar uma visão específica da globalização, respondendo com acções de city marketing. A atracção de investimento externo surge como uma das grandes prioridades do planeamento urbano. Esta visão é desenvolvida por novas elites urbanas, aqui chamadas de global growth coalitions, onde o sector empresarial é forte interventor, resultando numa ênfase em projectos de imagem, espectaculares, redireccionando recursos nesse sentido, deixando à margem as comunidades locais e promovendo o aumento da polarização social. Desenvolvimentos institucionais específicos nesse sentido resultam numa perda de dinâmicas democráticas locais. Estes processos são analisados em detalhe para os casos de Londres, Singapura e Sydney.FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a TecnologiaMinistério da CulturaInstituto Português do Livro e das Biblioteca

Backlash in the London suburbs: the local/strategic tension in multi-level governance

In this article we explore the tensions in metropolitan level governance between strategic planning and desires for political decentralisation. We do this through a three-part analysis. First we focus on the 2008 election strategy of Boris Johnson to become Mayor of London, with its aim of gaining suburban votes and giving more autonomy to the local Borough level. We then look at the impacts of this campaign on electoral results and, finally, the outcome of the Outer London Commission, which was set up by the Mayor after the election to deal with strategic issues concerning London’s suburbs. We find that a strategic intent to benefit suburban residents and the decentralisation of power to the Boroughs, are contradictory and have led to a policy stalemate

Deconstructing spatial planning: reinterpreting the articulation of a new ethos for English local planning

This article reviews recent debates about the emergence of “spatial planning” as a new ethos for English planning, suggesting that continued uncertainty around the term's use is partly caused by a failure to consider its emergence as the product of a contested political process. Drawing on an interpretive approach to policy analysis, the article goes on to show how this new organizing principle is a complex articulation of different and potentially contradictory reform impulses. The result is to destabilize the concept of spatial planning, showing how it has been constructed as an “empty signifier”, an unstable and tension-filled discursive stake in an ongoing politics of reform. Finally, it is argued that this has significant implications for the ways in which implementation success and failure should be understood and for analysis of planning reform initiatives and systems more widely

Urban regeneration for the London 2012 Olympics: issues of land acquisition and legacy

This article sets out to explore issues associated with the immediate legacy of the assembly of land to form the site for the 2012 Olympics. In selecting this focus, we recognise the difficulties of defining Olympic legacy - given that the concept has come to embrace a multitude of meanings - and also the challenge of speculating on how current plans for it will unfold beyond 2012. We begin this paper by setting out what we mean by Olympic legacy. In the first part of the paper, we explore the process of planning for legacy along with some of the debates and issues this has raised. We focus particularly on the question of how much difference winning the bid in 2005 has actually made, given that plans for the regeneration of east London’s Lea Valley were already in progress then. The preparations for hosting an event can have a significant impact on the decision-making process as the tight timetable, and specific Olympic objectives, shape behaviour. One dimension in this process is the impact the preparations and the process have had on the people living and working on the Olympic site. In the second part of this article, we look at the way the process has been affecting the people that were relocated from the site in 2007. How have they been affected and what kind of legacy has the Olympic project produced for them, at least in the short-term? Specifically, we examine the impact of the Olympic timescale on community participation opportunities and the way in which land acquisition has been undertaken. We conclude that experiences and results of the process have been varied, suggesting broader challenges of delivering local or evenly distributed benefits through mega-event driven development

Urban planning under Major: the end of Thatcherism?

This paper explores the urban planning legacy left by Mrs Thatcher. To what extent has Mr Major continued with her approach? Has he developed new directions? This broad question provides the background for an examination of the changes to the planning system since Mrs Thatcher left office. The main themes covered are the new plan-led emphasis, the increase in the coverage of environmental issues, the question of whether a more people oriented perspective has developed with Major's softer touch and the Citizen's Charter and the property-led approach to urban regeneration. The paper concludes that although the contradictions of Thatcherism have led to the relaxation of certain ideological stances to planning, the central themes of Thatcherism - individualism and centralisation - continue unabated

El caso británico: del thatcherismo a la Tercera Vía

Índice Introducción. Algunos problemas a la hora de aplicar el thatcherismo a la planificación. El nuevo laborismo y el regreso de la ideología consensual. Bibliografía.ResumenEn 1997, el thatcherismo quedó barrido por el Nuevo Laborismo y la "Tercera Vía" abogada por Tony Blair. ¿Con qué consecuencias para el urbanismo? Durante 18 años en el poder, el neoliberalismo thatcheriano hizo retroceder el papel del Estado y dio absoluto protagonismo al mercado libre. El urbanismo (muy potenciado por el Welfare State laborista de posguerra) quedó erosionado, aunque los conservadores no tuvieron más remedio que reintroducirlo para resolver ciertos conflicto medioambientales y locales. El Nuevo Laborismo de Tony Blair pretende unir socialdemocracia y liberalismo en una "Tercera Vía" que busque tanto logros sociales como objetivos económicos. El Estado debe intervenir para impedir la exclusión social, pero a la vez hay que ponerle todo tipo de facilidades al mundo empresarial para que sea competitivo en la era de la globalización. La "Tercera Vía" se basa en el consenso y en la conciliación con tintes cristianos. También se basa en el desarrollo de las regiones y de la democracia local mediante políticas de descentralización.Esta nueva aceptación de lo colectivo y también la preocupación por una sociedad más ecológica le otorga al urbanismo una mayor legitimidad. Las políticas de solidaridad social y las nuevas formas de democracia local deberían favorecer al urbanismo. Pero ¿conseguirán los tres objetivos del urbanismo (eficacia económica, sostenibilidad medioambiental y cubrir necesidades sociales) encontrar su hueco, o predominarán los imperativos de la competición económica internacional?La "Tercera Vía" de Tony Blair pretende compaginar los intereses de todos para que todos salgan ganando, pero corre el peligro de que se subestimen los conflictos.AbstractIn 1997,Thatcherism was swept by New Labour and the "Third Way" championed by Tony Blair. ¿What did this imply for urban planning? For 18 years,Thatcher's neo-liberalism "rolled back" the State and gave absolute priority to free market. Urban planning (strongly promoted by post-war Labour Welfare State) underwent an important erosion, although Conservative Party governments had to reintroduce it in order to solve environmental and local issues.Tony Blair's New Labour aims to fuse social democracy and liberalism into a "Third Way", that looks for both social goals and economic objectives.The State must intervene to prevent social exclusion, but on the other hand the business community has to favoured so as to be competitive in the globalisation era.The "Third Way" is based on consensus and conciliation (even with the business community) with Christian tinges. It is also based on regional development and local democracy through decentralisation policies.This new acceptance of community and also the concern for a more environmentally aware society have given planning greater legitimacy. Social solidarity policies and new local democracy forms should also benefit planning.However, will be the three objectives of planning (economic efficiency, environmental sustainability and meeting the social needs) be fulfilled or shall we see the imperatives of international economics competition predominate?Tony Blair's "Third Way" aims to reconcile all interests so that all win, but is in jeopardy of underestimating existing conflicts

Building the foundations for a market-oriented planning system in Bulgaria

Planning is highly conditioned by the relationships between the market, state and politics. This becomes particularly clear in looking at the changes taking place in the countries of the former Communist block as they attempt to establish a new set of relationships. The old power structures have been dislodged and old laws discarded. This paper examines the situation in Bulgaria and explores the preconditions for setting up a new planning system there. The first section outlines the political changes since 1989 and shows how political instability has effected the pace of change. The establishment of a market in land and property is a second precondition for the planning system there and moves in this direction are presented, including restitution policies. Finally the issues raised by the early attempts towards a new planning system are discussed. This paper is the first of a series looking at the countries of Eastern Europe and the author would welcome comments from others working in this field

El caso británico: del thatcherismo a la Tercera Vía

En 1997, el thatcherismo quedó barrido por el Nuevo Laborismo y la "Tercera Vía" abogada por Tony Blair. ¿Con qué consecuencias para el urbanismo? Durante 18 años en el poder, el neoliberalismo thatcheriano hizo retroceder el papel del Estado y dio absoluto protagonismo al mercado libre. El urbanismo (muy potenciado por el Welfare State laborista de posguerra) quedó erosionado, aunque los conservadores no tuvieron más remedio que reintroducirlo para resolver ciertos conflicto medioambientales y locales. El Nuevo Laborismo de Tony Blair pretende unir socialdemocracia y liberalismo en una "Tercera Vía" que busque tanto logros sociales como objetivos económicos. El Estado debe intervenir para impedir la exclusión social, pero a la vez hay que ponerle todo tipo de facilidades al mundo empresarial para que sea competitivo en la era de la globalización. La "Tercera Vía" se basa en el consenso y en la conciliación con tintes cristianos. También se basa en el desarrollo de las regiones y de la democracia local mediante políticas de descentralización. Esta nueva aceptación de lo colectivo y también la preocupación por una sociedad más ecológica le otorga al urbanismo una mayor legitimidad. Las políticas de solidaridad social y las nuevas formas de democracia local deberían favorecer al urbanismo. Pero ¿conseguirán los tres objetivos del urbanismo (eficacia económica, sostenibilidad medioambiental y cubrir necesidades sociales) encontrar su hueco, o predominarán los imperativos de la competición económica internacional? La "Tercera Vía" de Tony Blair pretende compaginar los intereses de todos para que todos salgan ganando, pero corre el peligro de que se subestimen los conflictos