Party-politics and planning. Mapping political values for a better understanding of decision-making on spatial development

Abstract

In recent years, political support for spatial planning in the Netherlands has declined, with the abolition of the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning and the decentralisation of strategic planning responsibilities to regional government. These changes have surprised many practitioners and scholars, revealing limited understanding of the party-political dimension of planning. This paper presents research on political values relevant to planning, outlining the methods used and mapping the diverse perspectives of Dutch political parties. A mind-mapping approach is employed to visualise these values, resulting in a practical tool for improving decision-making on spatial development.