1st Edition

An Anatomy of Sprawl Planning and Politics in Britain

By Nicholas A. Phelps Copyright 2012
    224 Pages
    by Routledge

    222 Pages
    by Routledge

    Despite the combined efforts of British planners, politicians, the public and interest groups, the ‘Solent City’ stands as one of a number of instances of a peculiar instance of urban sprawl – muted, and slow to emerge – yet produced paradoxically by very strong interests in promoting conservation and restraint.

    This unique and valuable case study, while focusing on the planning and development of South Hampshire in particular, enables an in-depth study of the issues surrounding planning strategies with regards to growing populations.

    Foreword Sir Peter Hall  Preface  1. Introduction  2. Muddling Through: An Anatomy of British Urban Sprawl  3. The Fall and Rise of 'Solent City'  4. Administering Sprawl in South Hampshire  5. Strategic Growth and Conservation in South Hampshire  6. Strategic Growth and the Provision of Services and Infrastructure in South Hampshire  7. The Metropolis Without a Government  8. Conclusion

    Biography

    Phelps, Nicholas A.

    "Nick Phelps has made an important contribution to understanding the pathology of planning. An Anatomy of Sprawl combines rich empirical analysis with insightful observations which academics, planners and students should take on board." - Phil Allmendinger, Professor of Land Economy, University of Cambridge & Fellow of Clare College

    "The first comprehensively researched and critical examination of the pressure for urban growth in the UK since Peter Hall's 'The Containment of Urban England'. If you thought the planning system has always achieved urban containment, this book reveals graphically the painful political attempts to manage and plan the impacts on our cities, countryside, and communities." - Mark Tewdwr-Jones, UCL

    "A richly detailed analysis of urban and regional planning processes and outcomes that should be required reading for U.S planners and planning students and anyone interested in pro-growth/no-growth/smart growth issues. Phelps is masterful in weaving the detail of his account within the framework of broader issues." - Paul L. Knox, University Distinguished Professor and Senior Fellow for International Advancement at Virginia Tech

    "...those interested in fundamental questions about the role of planning and planners in a democratic society will almost certainly want to study this book carefully" - Built Environment

    "[T]he book as it stands is an extremely valuable contribution to the international literature on what planning does (and does not do), and the conditions under which it can(not) flourish. Let us hope it may stimulate more such studies of contemporary planning history." – International Planning Studies Journal, Tim Marshall, Oxford Brookes University, UK