Growing nowhere: Privileging economic growth in planning policy

This article explores the relationship between planning and economic growth, examining the impact of planning strategies which increasingly privilege economic growth as the key objective. Drawing from research in two contrasting English urban local authorities – one experiencing growth, the other decline, the article examines how economic growth is understood and defined locally. It also examines how a low growth context, coupled with a changing policy context is impacting on local decision making. The research finds that economic growth has become a dominant objective of local planning policy but questions the efficacy of this approach arguing that it does not necessarily address place-based challenges and may actually undermine the ability of local government to use the planning system to improve quality of life for residents.