This book looks at the transition from New Labour’s ‘Spatial Planning’ approach to the Coalition Government’s preferred ‘Localism’ approach. Localism we are told will liberate local planners from the heavy hand of central government and allow planning to flourish at the local level. Alternatively, austerity cuts nationally mean planning faces cuts. In just two years the machinery of regional planning has been dismantled and local authorities are being asked to do more with less. Innovation is also evident, however, notably with the introduction of neighbourhood planning and Local Enterprise Partnerships. This collection contain chapters looking at the planning system overall, sustainability and planning, new approaches to infrastructure planning, and the critical interface between urban policy, local economic development and planning.

This book was published as a special issue of Planning Practice and Research. It also contains a brand new afterword, written by the editors: ‘Localism, austerity and planning.’