ABSTRACT
In this chapter we will work with the concept of ‘action’, which comes in the form of proposals. This action is what constitutes the ‘nucleus’ of the planning instruments such as policies, plans, programmes, and projects, and which is typically accompanied by additional explanations such as the current situation and the intended outcomes. Proposed versus ‘final' action
It is an interesting question to pinpoint when an action such as a structural plan or a transport plan stops being a ‘proposal’ and becomes ‘final’. Let us explore a gradient of interpretation options, upon which people may have different opinions.
The obvious answer is that we have a proposal until a selection and a decision are made. But, as decisions are sometimes challenged and possibly annulled a posteriori, we could reasonably consider that we have a proposal until the decision is ratified for implementation.
However, as implementations are sometimes cancelled due to extreme circumstances (for instance, a widespread economic crisis), an even more rigorous interpretation of an action proposal is not final until it is concluded.
Then again, if the plan has monitoring obligations that extend into decades to come, would it be ‘final’ before its monitoring obligations are complete?
