ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines Scotland's tradition of strategic planning and regional development, commenting on its strengths and weaknesses. It describes the preparation of Scotland's first National Planning Framework, and highlights the approach adopted to stakeholder engagement and comments on Scotland's experience of applying Strategic Environmental Assessment at the national level. It then describes how the Framework has sought to pursue the objective of balanced and sustainable economic development through a strategy which places emphasis on environmental quality and improved connectivity. The key challenges facing Scotland in the early twenty-first century are the building of a competitive knowledge economy, the strengthening and renewing of infrastructure, the promotion of urban and rural regeneration and the management of demographic change. The Scottish Executive sees the cities as having a key role in the modernisation and development of the economy. Scotland has areas of real economic vibrancy and some world class urban environments.
