Willem K. Korthals Altes

Evaluating communicative planning: A revised design for performance research

Abstract This paper adds to the literature on the ‘performance’ rather than the ‘conformance’ of plans, relating the arguments to an issue that is under‐researched: the evaluation of communicative planning. With the ‘IOR‐School’, it argues that the purpose of planning is to improve the quality of decisions. To establish how plans can do that, the paper looks at the interaction between the maker of a plan and those responsible for subsequent decisions as a process of communication. Drawing inspiration from literature according an inalienable role to the reader of a text in interpreting it, the paper proposes a modified design for performance research.

The Netherlands Spatial Planning Doctrine in Disarray in the 21st Century

The concept of a planning doctrine can be used to analyse spatial planning systems, making reference to the ways in which their performance is influenced by patterns of thought. In the Netherlands the performance of the planning system has been attributed to a strong national consensus on a set of interrelated and enduring notions on spatial configurations and development strategies and how they should be handled: in plain terms, a ‘spatial planning doctrine’. The spatial planning context has changed so much in the past fifteen years that many critics are questioning whether Dutch spatial planning can continue to live up to its internationally acclaimed reputation. We analyse the workings of the planning doctrine and conclude that it is still having an effect on planning practice. However, if it does not evolve more dynamically, it might be wrenched out of joint by the constantly changing planning context. We furthermore reflect on the potential role of a planning doctrine in the analysis of planning systems.

Stagnation in Housing Production: Another Success in the Dutch ‘Planner's Paradise’?

There are a number of different criteria for measuring the success of plans in planning. In the planning literature there is a debate about the criterion of conformance (that is, whether spatial development is according to plan) as opposed to performance (that is, whether the plan has shown the way to better decisionmaking), which is, in fact, different from performance measurement. In this paper both criteria are applied to measure the success of Dutch national concentration policies in the “Fourth Memorandum on Spatial Planning—Plus”. The author shows that the urban containment policies conform well to the plan but perform badly in terms of improving current decisionmaking on the stagnation of housing production in the Netherlands. Moreover, the present stagnation of housing production is planned stagnation. With this result, the author shows that conformance and performance are independent criteria for measuring planning success, and that plans (as set out in the “Fourth Memorandum on Spatial Planning—Plus”) with high conformance may still perform badly on the performance criterion.

Local Government and the Decentralisation of Urban Regeneration Policies in The Netherlands

In The Netherlands, national urban regeneration policies are undergoing a radical process of decentralisation. Many major national funds are concentrated in an Investment Budget for Urban Regeneration (IUR) and are decentralised to 30 major cities and the 12 provinces for the smaller municipalities. Establishing the IUR is seen as an important precondition for regeneration policies in the Dutch context. The paper discusses the capacity of local government to be the central government agent for the urban regeneration policies being promoted by the IUR. Decentralising urban regeneration policies involves more than decentralising the budget. The domain of local government must have sufficient capacity to engage in the policies decentralised by national government.In The Netherlands, national urban regeneration policies are undergoing a radical process of decentralisation. Many major national funds are concentrated in an Investment Budget for Urban Regeneration (IUR) and are decentralised to 30 major cities and the 12 provinces for the smaller municipalities. Establishing the IUR is seen as an important precondition for regeneration policies in the Dutch context. The paper discusses the capacity of local government to be the central government agent for the urban regeneration policies being promoted by the IUR. Decentralising urban regeneration policies involves more than decentralising the budget. The domain of local government must have sufficient capacity to engage in the policies decentralised by national government.

The Single European Market and Land Development

The Single European Market could conceivably make a deep impact on established practices of land development. Changes to the explicit and implicit rules that have hitherto governed the land market will re-shape the actions of agencies. Rules on state aid and public procurement are particularly pertinent to land development. European regulations on state aid have ended the system of gap funding for the regeneration of brownfields in the United Kingdom and public procurement rules may put an end to land-development contracts in which owners provide the local government with infrastructure in kind.The Single European Market could conceivably make a deep impact on established practices of land development. Changes to the explicit and implicit rules that have hitherto governed the land market will re-shape the actions of agencies. Rules on state aid and public procurement are particularly pertinent to land development. European regulations on state aid have ended the system of gap funding for the regeneration of brownfields in the United Kingdom and public procurement rules may put an end to land-development contracts in which owners provide the local government with infrastructure in kind.

Potential Application of Land Readjustment Method in Urban Renewal: Analysis for Turkey

It is important to find a tool to be found that is capable of fulfilling specific functions (such as land assembly, self-finance, the protection of social capital, with results obtainable within a certain time) in approaches related to the renewal of urban built-up areas. This paper discusses whether land readjustment (LR) can be such a tool by analyzing whether it performs better than traditional urban renewal processes in Turkey, and whether LR may be an instrument in different contexts of renewal. This paper focuses on three built-up housing areas with different characteristics, and is based on the results of two different questionnaire surveys. The first survey was conducted in municipalities in both metropolitan areas and large cities in Turkey and covered specific urban renewal projects. The second survey was distributed to residents from some renewal project areas including three built-up housing areas with different characteristics in Istanbul. All discussions contribute to an improved understanding of the potential of the LR method as a tool for urban renewal projects.

Towards regional development planning in the Netherlands

Dutch urbanization policy has a tradition of large-scale housing developments that combine green structure and the infrastructure as components of an integrated urban design. The restructuring of the welfare state has had a considerable impact on this tradition, and it has brought about changes in the institutional position of local governments, which have traditionally played a dominant role in the pursuit of ‘direct-development’ policies (i.e. policies in which a local government buys land, provides infrastructure and sells the land to developers and housing associations). A regional level is now emerging in the field of land development, as new developments are increasingly likely to cross municipal borders. Land-development planning intersects with landscape planning, which has its roots in land consolidation. Development planning is no longer patently local. This article begins by tracing the Dutch traditions of urban and rural land development, which have evolved separately in different institutional settings over the years. It then discusses the causes behind the emerging practice of regional development planning, which unites both traditions. Two cases, HeerhugowaardAlkmaar-Langedijk (HAL) and the Hart of the Heuvelrug, are analysed to provide further insight into this new practice. The article concludes with a discussion on the implications of regional development planning for the institutional capacity of Dutch provinces in particular.

The Impact of European Public Contract Law on Networks of Governance: A Relational Approach

Scholars increasingly stress the importance of relations rather than locations in planning. Consequently, planning research might not only focus on land use and land-use regulations, but also on the way relations between urban and regional actors are regulated. This paper reflects critically on the European directive on public contracts, which regulates specific relationships between contracting authorities and economic operators, and its potential impact on urban and regional planning. The paper concludes that further juridification of these relations by procurement directive may result in the relative isolation of the actors involved in governance, both private and public, and may decrease the significance of these relational networks.

Strategic urban projects in Amsterdam and New York: Incomplete contracts and good faith in different legal systems

Contracts between local government and private investment agencies play an important role in strategic urban projects. Real estate cycles provide only a narrow window of opportunity within which to draft such contracts. A legal system should therefore not impede the possibility of reaching an agreement quickly; instead, it should facilitate efficient ways of reaching an agreement. Lengthy contracting may contribute to the persistence of real estate market cycles. This paper explores the question of whether the civil law principle of good faith facilitates the drafting of incomplete contracts, which may be efficient in situations of high uncertainty and complexity, as was the case with two strategic inner-city projects: the South Axis in Amsterdam and Battery Park City in New York City. The paper further establishes that good faith does play a considerable role in the differences in contracting practice.Contracts between local government and private investment agencies play an important role in strategic urban projects. Real estate cycles provide only a narrow window of opportunity within which to draft such contracts. A legal system should therefore not impede the possibility of reaching an agreement quickly; instead, it should facilitate efficient ways of reaching an agreement. Lengthy contracting may contribute to the persistence of real estate market cycles. This paper explores the question of whether the civil law principle of good faith facilitates the drafting of incomplete contracts, which may be efficient in situations of high uncertainty and complexity, as was the case with two strategic inner-city projects: the South Axis in Amsterdam and Battery Park City in New York City. The paper further establishes that good faith does play a considerable role in the differences in contracting practice.

The financial estimates and results of servicing land in the Netherlands

Past research has revealed that governments are often tempted to underestimate the costs and overestimate the benefits of infrastructure projects. However, an analysis of local-government estimates and accounts reveals that servicing land by local authorities in the Netherlands is an exception to this general phenomenon. The profits made by local authorities from land development are growing, while the costs, revenues, and results are, on average, underestimated by local authorities. This may have consequences for the explanation of budget overruns and the solutions that may be effective in countering this problem. It is not always necessary for there to be one single moment in the planning process at which a fully informed choice can be made; an alternative is to leave room for flexible, piecemeal decision making.