ABSTRACT
This final chapter of the book looks at the scope for retail and commercial planning within small, localised areas. In doing so, there may be some criticism that this reflects on a return to a rather traditional approach to planning, especially since many of the problems that can be pointed to are really the outcome of systemic processes and are better dealt with through the other avenues of planning that have already been reviewed. Our defence is twofold: firstly, that very often the concerns expressed by both businessmen and consumers stem from local incidences which, if treated in the areal context in which they have emerged, may be more quickly resolved than if referred back to some broader based programme of action; secondly, that there do exist within urban and rural environments particular places where a general problem becomes acute and needs special attention. The sorts of plans we have in mind, however, need not necessarily be confined to a single locality, as in the case of contemporary Action-Area Plans. It may well be preferable to direct such plans at several like kinds of areas, recognising that within these there may be differing degrees of severity to the problems that need to be addressed.
