The Power of the Plan

In this publication, a group of practitioners, all interacting in some way in the complex world of planning, reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of strategic, spatial and community-led socio-economic planning as it operates now in the Republic of Ireland and across the UK. The conrtibutors then present a vision for the future that puts the citizen as a valued partner at the centre of planning processes. They champion a simplified and integrated planning system, more suited to an age of budget cuts (with hard decisions to be made about priorities) and greater involvement of communities in service delivery.  Above all, encouraging citizen involvement in the planning process is judged to be of critical importance.