ABSTRACT
Reading the six case studies, one is inevitably struck by the widely differing processes and outcomes which characterize planning in the Thatcher years. While not attempting to provide a comprehensive account of planning over this period, the case studies cover a wider spectrum from the highest to the lowest degrees of state intervention and control, and from the smallest local communities to large corporate institutions. There are marked contrasts between the styles in terms of how they are operated, their effectiveness and their outcomes. This implies that each style faces rather different problems of legitimation and therefore appeals to different political constituencies and ideologies.
