Land and limits: interpreting sustainability in the planning process

In a new and critical analysis, this book explores the impact of an influential idea -sustainable development - on the institutions and practices governing the use of land. A central theme is the paradox that in spite of increasing attention to sustainability, land-use conflict is as ubiquitous, and as iptense, as ever.
Presenting a rigorous discussion of concepts, policy instruments and contemporary planning dilemmas, the authors challenge prevailing assumptions about 'planning for sustainability. After charting the remarkable growth in expectations of planning, they show how attempts to interpret sustainability must lead inexorably to moral and political choices of a fundamental kind.
Important themes developed in the first half of the book are carried through into chapters that assess the role of planning in three vital areas: transport, biodiversity and minerals extraction. Challenging conclusions are drawn together in the final chapter, and the potential for planning to provide a space for dialogue about environment and development is explored.
This book will be essential reading for academics, professionals and advanced students in the fields of environmental policy and land-use planning.