ABSTRACT
A century ago, planning was largely a physical preoccupation, with architects (the master) producing grand visions for cities and neighbourhoods (masterplanning) that were then implemented, often with little political discussion and certainly no citizen engagement in those plans. While this very narrow and top-down type of planning went out of fashion (indeed, was discredited) many decades ago, this chapter argues that in the face of the global and local challenges discussed in earlier chapters, there is a need to remember some of this early vision, and to make planning proactive once again. This design dimension of planning requires that planners do more than simply allocate sites, write policies and regulate development; it requires that they bring forward positive visions for change. The chapter discusses some of the conundrums associated with such an approach and considers the best tools to improve practice in the future.
