ABSTRACT
Rural planners in developing countries – usually based in small towns – have tended to focus on the provision of social infrastructure (roads, schools, clinics, etc). Planning for the rural areas (sensu stricto) lying beyond the towns has been mainly a top-down process, usually the domain of government departments concerned with rural development, agriculture and natural resources (eg fisheries, forestry, wildlife, water). Frequently planning has followed procedures, set out in planning manuals, and the focus has largely been on the use of land and natural resources. The current trend towards decentralization is being accompanied by efforts to deconcentrate and devolve planning functions and more attention is being given to the effectiveness of delivery and the historical legacies that remain.
