Planning for performance: : Requirements for Sustainable Development

The paper aims to identify the qualities required from urban planning to make it an effective tool to promote sustainable urban development. The paper reviews trends in urban development that imply that urban plans and planning processes should perform new and demanding roles. These demands go beyond guidance or the control of land uses and location. They require a framework for multiple actors to share visions to commit themselves to action and to co-operate in achieving it. One of these visions is sustainable urban development. The paper argues that the process of building consensus on development gives increased chances of sustainability. The recent emphasis on approaches inspired by modern business management does not, however, do away with the need for some legally enforceable aspects of plans. It is also important not to expect miracles from new approaches to planning. Reference is also made to the international debate on the subject and examples are drawn from the authorʹs experience.