ABSTRACT
The emphasis on how much the planning system should be concerned with design issues has fluctuated over the post-war period. Furthermore, what is denoted by the term ‘design’ has also been at times unclear and the associated terminology has changed and evolved. The purpose of this chapter is to outline where design has been seen to fit within the planning system from the national policy perspective, by briefly reviewing how such policy has developed over the post-war period. However, the chapter also attempts to resolve the confusion between the terms ‘design’ and ‘urban design’ and briefly introduces some key elements of academic thinking where appropriate.
