Urban Social Planning

Term Paper # 112265

Environmental Studies > Urban Issues
Public Administration

A discussion on whether urban social planning challenges and changes the dominant urban development trends in our cities.

1,584 words () | 17 sources | APA | 2009 United Kingdom

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the definition of urban social planning and how the impacts of urban social movements in changing the fabric of a city cannot be underestimated. In particular, the paper discusses how social movements influence planning and considers the policy making process within authorities. The paper concludes that urban social movements tend to have little influence in planning policy; instead they are constrained by policy and are forced to find ways of manipulating current policy for their own benefit.

From the Paper:

"The methods chosen by urban social movements to make their point often determine their success. They can choose to take 'institutional action' which takes place within the existing political and legal framework, or 'non-institutional action' (i.e. demonstrations and 'direct action') which also includes illegal action (Graham, 2000). This raises the question of whether 'institutional action' is the only way planning policies can be influenced. A historical study by Olives (1992) sheds light on this within the French system. Of 16 urban social movements discussed nine were successful. Of those nine, seven movements demonstrated organization, mobilisation, social base and 'strong' stakes, corresponding with the view of political action through mobilisation. It is interesting to consider the exceptions. The first of these cases used petitions to secure rehousing for immigrants threatened with eviction. "

Sample of Sources Used:

Atkins, P. (1993) How the West End was won: the struggle to remove street barriers in Victorian London, Journal of Historical Geography, 19(3) pp.267-77.
Bonnier, F. (1992) Les pratiques des associations de quartier et les processus de recuperation. Espaces et Societes, Nos. 6-7: 29-35.
Castells, M. (1972) La Question Urbaine, Paris: Francois Maspero.
Castells, M. (1973) Luttes Urbaines. Mouvements sociaux urbains et pouvoir politique, Paris: Francois Maspero
Dearlove, J. (1973) The Politics of Policy in Local Government, London: Cambridge University Press.