Integration in planning: Is it worth the effort?

Integrated development is still the “holy grail” of planners, but does it work? How do you make it work?

I have just been invited to India to talk about integration in planning at what should be a very interesting workshop. The aim is to set the framework of the second generation of City Development Plans. These are a form of strategic urban planning. They aim to provide a participative process to ensure ownership and an integrated framework for cross-sectoral  infrastructure investment.

Topics

Issues that will be addressed include:

  • how to improve multi-stakeholder working and local ownership of the development plans;
  • how to better link the development plan to the land use plan;
  • how to better mobilise financial resources.

I hope I can later share some highlights from the workshop, and links to useful materials.  I will also post more material on integration on the website.
In the meantime, if you would like to share your experiences of integration, or “smart connection” between different forms of plans, it would be good to hear from you.

Comments

  1. Anisa Draboo says

    Hi, I am a city planner and currently live in India (Delhi), and would be interested to either attend or know more about this workshop. Would you kindly share the details?

    • The workshop was 12/13 October and organized by NIUA – National Institute for Urban Affairs, Delhi for Ministry of Urban Development, Cities Alliance, World Bank Institute, Metropolis and CDIA. Look at their website for information on the workshop and any reporting.
      I found it very stimulating and will post about it as soon as I have time. I am now leaving for Ghana to do some work on strategic planning there.

  2. Anisa Draboo says

    Sad that I missed it.
    Never mind, next time.
    Thanks so much for your reply. Will wait for your post on the workshop.
    I will be interested in knowing more about such work happening in India, and also to get connected to people in similar field here. I want to return to my core competence- planning and want to do related work, after doing stint with international aid agencies.
    Any help will be much apprecaited..
    Thanks,
    Anisa

  3. Dear Forbes, So glad to find you here, when are we going to organize a workshop about integration in Lima?? I would love to have you here again, but for a longer period of time. In Lima the Municipality is about to start the development of the Urban Development Plan 2013-2014 (if the major remains….) and it would be quite important to have you around..
    Best regards
    Liliana Miranda

    • Would be great to visit Lima again sometime! I still remember the Ceviche.
      I am doing work at present in Ghana related to integrating or at least linking development planning and spatial planning – interesting challenge.

  4. Mpeirwe Angella says

    Integrated planning is very interesting where various stakeholders are involved. This has become a challenge in developing countries where by planning is nolonger a” jack of all trades”. It has turned out to be a cut en paste exercise and not result oriented. This is because of scarce resources. meaning that the un- implemented activities keep being rolled over in the following years? How can urban managers be helped to become more strategic?

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