ABSTRACT
It is assumed that the reader already has an understanding of the machinery of planning (zonings, as of right uses, prohibited uses, setbacks, height constraints and so forth) that so often dominate the valuation process. This allows a focus in this chapter on ‘why’ rather than solely on ‘what’ through considering planning as an allocator of public and private resources in a competitive environment to facilitate the realisation of a visualised future through urban development. Planning is a fundamental component of most human endeavours, such as financial planning or family planning, with this chapter focusing on urban planning, being the preferred term signifying that the interest is in urban development. However, alternative terms are ‘land use planning’ and ‘town planning’. Government sector urban planners are a subset of the manager category of stakeholder, intervening in a market process on behalf of government and its constituents being commonly referred to as the ‘public interest’.
