The plan review: A new approach to urban project assessment
Decision-makers experience problems with assessing urban investment plans. Currently, if national public funding is involved, cost–benefit analysis (CBA) is a mandatory component of the Dutch decision-making process with regard to large-scale spatial investments. However, the current CBA approach does not fit well with the ambiguous and multi-level policy goals that are common practice in our contemporary urbanised regions. Stakeholders have expressed a need for an assessment instrument that is better able to cope with these aspects of urban planning. This paper introduces such an instrument: the Plan Review.
Contrary to CBA, the Plan Review does not focus on the ultimate effects and efficiency of urban projects. Instead, it enables planners and reviewers to first take a step back. The Plan Review takes the form of a matrix that brings together a variety of spatial conditions (16 in total) that must be met for a plan to effectively contribute to the achievement of policy goals. Think of accessibility by different modes of transport, and a local public space design that fits with higher level project objectives. By opening the black box of relevant spatial conditions and explicitly addressing the line of reasoning in a project plan, the Plan Review matrix helps stakeholders discuss possible plan improvements (early in the planning process) and assess the project (in a later phase).
Authors
Specifications
- Publication title
- The plan review: A new approach to urban project assessment
- Publication date
- 11 July 2012
- Publication type
- Publication
- Magazine
- 26th AESOP Conference 2012 Proceedings, Ankara, AESOP, p. 2867 – 2885
- Product number
- 996