Regional planning

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Regional planning deals with the efficient placement of

A 'region' in planning terms can be administrative or at least partially functional, and is likely to include a network of settlements and character areas. In most European countries, regional and national plans are 'spatial' directing certain levels of development to specific cities and towns in order to support and manage the region depending on specific needs, for example supporting or resisting polycentrism.

Nomenclature

Although the term "regional planning" is nearly universal in

Principles

Specific interventions and solutions will depend entirely on the needs of each region in each country, but generally speaking, regional planning at the macro level will seek to:^[3]

• Resist development in
  earthquake faults
  . These areas may be utilised as parks, or unimproved farmland.
• Designate transportation corridors using
  hubs and spokes
  and considering major new infrastructure
• Some thought into the various 'role's settlements in the region may play, for example some may be administrative, with others based upon manufacturing or transport.
• Consider designating essential nuisance land uses locations, including waste disposal.
• Designate Green belt land or similar to resist settlement amalgamation and protect the environment.
• Set regional level 'policy' and zoning which encourages a mix of housing values and communities.
• Consider building codes, zoning laws and policies that encourage the best use of the land.
• Allocation of land.

See also

• Urban planning
• Regional planning organization
• Metropolitan planning organization (MPO)

References