ABSTRACT
The theories of planning considered in the first chapter are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Moreover many of the theories are in effect derived from other social sciences rather than developed for specific application to planning practice. However, it can be argued that the practice of spatial planning by the Mayor and his strategic planners had some of the elements of positivism, derided by some theoretical commentators. For example, Davoudi and Strange (2009) considered that planning interventions by the Mayor could have a positive influence on the quality of life of people living in, working in or visiting London. Planning practice in London also contained an element of rationalism: plans should be based on evidence and analysis, an approach that is required both by government guidance and by the statutory planning framework, which sets out tests of soundness to be examined through a public inquiry. The strategic planners at City Hall, however, never fell into the trap of systems theory; modelling and scenario testing were undertaken in order to seek to anticipate future changes, demographic and economic, but were never seen as a determinant of the future or as a mechanism to control external factors.
