Market Oriented Planning: A Behavioural Analysis

In exploring the problems associated with planning systems in Europe and elsewhere, there has been a distinct movement toward ëmarket oriented' planning or alternative market based planning regimes. The problems associated with various types of planning regimes are clear: the more bureaucratic and cumbersome the system, the more likely it is that supply constraints will appear in areas such as affordable housing and industrial development, just to name a few. To date, however, most contemporary analyses have focused on how to bring the private sector ëon board' or how to ensure that the system works fairly in the public interest. Given that the overall purpose of planning is to manage a ëcommon' resource, land, an analysis of public goods games research, including social dilemmas, are reviewed within this context. As negative externalities are a fundamental part of any analysis of planning structures, allocation efficiency, fairness, and the emergence of regulatory mechanisms will also be discussed in relation to broad market oriented planning regimes outlined by Lind (2002). Also, a discussion on the expectations of participants in the planning system (developers, property owners, and public bodies) will be conducted using the framework developed.