ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses some of the important institutional changes in the Norwegian planning system over the past 50 years, and discusses these changes in relation to international and national trends in planning research and theory. It highlights some of the rich Norwegian planning research that focuses on these changes, and also serves as a presentation of both the Norwegian planning system and of planning research in Norway. Today, the Norwegian planning system consists of core planning activities, which are regional and local planning, and national guidance and control. International planning theory and research have had, and continue to have, an important impact on Norwegian planning legislation, planning in practice, and planning research. Planning strategies are new instruments used to adjust the many compulsory national planning requirements to local needs for planning. Local planning authorities have adjusted their services in order to administrate the many submitted zoning plans and streamlined their services in line with measures of efficiency from the ministry.
