Background
Land-use planning refers to the control exerted by central or local governments over the utilisation of land. This strategy is deployed to manage and direct the use or development of land, ensuring that activities resulting in externalities, such as noise or visual intrusion, are suitably located to mitigate their adverse effects on the community.
Historical Context
The practice of land-use planning gained prominence as urbanisation increased and the resulting negative externalities—such as pollution, congestion, and urban sprawl—became substantial societal issues. Early iterations of land-use regulation can be traced back to zoning laws and urban planning initiatives in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, designed to compartmentalise urban growth and reduce conflicts between residential, commercial, and industrial activities.
Definitions and Concepts
Externalities: In the context of land-use planning, externalities are side effects or consequences of industrial, commercial, or residential activities that affect other parties without being reflected in the cost of the goods or services involved. Negative externalities, such as pollution or the destruction of green spaces, are particularly significant.
Controls and Regulation: These refer to the mechanisms through which the government imposes restrictions and guidelines for the use of land. These may include zoning laws, environmental regulations, building codes, and permits for new developments.
Major Analytical Frameworks
Classical Economics
Classical economists typically favor minimal government intervention. Hence, the focus is often on allowing market forces to dictate land use, though they may recognise the necessity of some level of regulation to deal with significant externalities.
Neoclassical Economics
Neoclassical economists acknowledge the role of externalities and the market failures they can cause. Their approach, therefore, supports government intervention through planning when market solutions are inefficient or ineffective in addressing externalities.
Keynesian Economics
Keynesian economics supports more active government involvement in regulating economic activities, including land use. Government planning is considered essential to steer development in ways that promote overall economic stability and public welfare.
Marxian Economics
From the Marxian perspective, land-use planning is viewed as a method to ensure that land, a critical element of production, serves the public good rather than private interests. This school emphasizes state control to eliminate inequities caused by capitalist exploitation.
Institutional Economics
Institutional economics focuses on the impact of governance structures and societal norms on economic outcomes. Land-use planning is seen as a reflection of the institutional framework that shapes economic behavior and outcomes.
Behavioral Economics
Behavioral economists examine how cognitive biases and heuristics affect land-use decisions. Efforts are made to design regulations that account for these behavioral tendencies to achieve desirable planning outcomes.
Post-Keynesian Economics
Post-Keynesian economists support comprehensive and state-driven planning initiatives, focusing on minimizing instability and promoting sustainable, inclusive growth.
Austrian Economics
Austrian economists generally oppose heavy-handed governmental intervention. They argue that land-use planning can lead to resource misallocation and is less efficient than market-based solutions.
Development Economics
Development economists view land-use planning as crucial for sustainable development, improving quality of life, especially in developing nations with growing urban centers.
Monetarism
Monetarists, who emphasize the role of monetary policy and market regulation in managing economic stability, typically advocate for minimal direct intervention in land-use, arguing that other market-based mechanisms can handle the allocation more efficiently unless clear market failures exist.
Comparative Analysis
The argument for land-use planning hinges largely on aligning activities with societal well-being by mitigating negative externalities. Contrasted with laissez-faire approaches where markets function with limited regulation, planned land-use attempts to proactively manage and steer urban and rural development in ways that contribute to long-term economic and environmental sustainability. This balancing act between regulation intensity reflects underlying economic ideological differences in views on government intervention.
Case Studies
The Initiative in Curitiba, Brazil
Zoning Policies in New York City, USA
Green Belts in the United Kingdom
Slum Redevelopment in Mumbai, India
Suggested Books for Further Studies
- “Urban Economics and Real Estate: Theory and Policy” by John F. McDonald and Daniel P. McMillen
- “The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York” by Robert A. Caro
- “Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature” by Douglas Farr
- “Zoned in the USA: The Origins and Implications of American Land-Use Regulation” by Sonia A. Hirt
Related Terms with Definitions
- Zoning: Regulatory mechanism that divides a city into districts and prescribes the types of land uses allowed in each district.
- Urban Sprawl:
