ABSTRACT
One of the purposes of this book is to fi nd explanations for the differences in the way that the French and the British undertake what is essentially a similar activity, the management of the use and development of land. It is characteristically an activity undertaken by public authorities of whatever kind, who justify their work by reference to a general or public interest, however that may be defi ned. In spite of these similarities both the process and content of planning differs in Britain and France. In this chapter we argue that one explanation for the differences lies in the fact that planning, as a public activity, has nevertheless to engage with private property interests. Indeed the introduction of public control of future land use and development was a response to the perceived inadequacies of the land market in allocating land for future development in an equitable fashion. Planning as a sphere of activity thus fi nds itself at a crucial interface between public and private action and of necessity represents an ‘interference’ in interests in, and rights to, private property. Some understanding of property in land becomes a necessary part of an effective public intervention in the way land is used and developed.
