Environment and planning — norms and realities

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Abstract
In the Nordic countries planning at regional and local (municipal) level seems to have a high normative status as an operative means for implementing national policies. In particular planning is regarded as a useful and effective tool for national and local integration and coordination of environmental concerns in a system of highly, dispersed and decentralized responsibilities. Planning is supposed to give professional guidance for political and administrative decisions to act on local problems within a framework of overall national policies. Empirical studies observe substantial disparities between the ideals of environmental planning and actual practice in regional and local authorities. Real co‐ordinated and committed efforts from various government sectors seem difficult to obtain, conflicting policies are not easily resolved and the actual effect on local politics and decision making seem to be far less than assumed in the normative planning models. The article discusses some of these observations and experiences in a Norwegian context and suggests possible explanations to this gap between planning norms and realities.

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