ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the changing shape of planning, especially in the context of its institutional structure. Planning could play a role in the regulation of development, but it should act as an interpreter of market signals rather than a prescriptive regulator. It should ensure the smooth functioning of markets. The Thatcher governments effectively promoted a discourse of 'developmentalism' in planning and sought to strengthen the prescriptive powers of the central state, thereby diminishing the scope for territorial alliances or the introduction of spatialized complexity. It is important that development plans should concentrate on the essential elements and the key planning issues be well related to current trends in the economy and the factors that influence market demand, and be capable of rapid revision to meet changing circumstances. In making any assessment of the future thrust of planning policy, attention must be directed to the obvious role played by environmentalism.
