ABSTRACT

This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book discusses the main features of the major approaches to regional development which have been promoted over the last few decades. It explores the implications of these for settlement policy, particularly in developing countries, and to clarify the central debates relating to the settlement system and its role in national and regional development. The book reviews two major interrelated observations about developments within the field of settlement policy. It describes all planning, including settlement planning, is a highly political process: planners cannot perceive themselves as neutral agents in the development process. Different approaches to development and settlement planning will have different outcomes for various groups in society. The book explains the importance of context in determining how the development problem is defined and the nature of appropriate policies or programmes.