Political Modernisation and the Environmental Question: The Case for Strategic Planning

Abstract

The contemporary emphasis on collaboration, partnership and participation that characterises ecological modernisation provides an interpretation of sustainable development in which economic growth and environmental protection are mutually compatible goals. At the same time the political modernisation of local government has undermined local democratic structures and replaced them with new forms of local and regional governance which are more centralised, less representative and less democratic. A key element of modernisation has been the emphasis on forms of strategic planning at local and regional levels, which have tended to privilege economic over environmental and other policy goals. In the process, sustainable development, despite its elevation as a fundamental policy objective, has tended to become marginalised. This analysis advocates a form of strategic planning that integrates policy sectors and spatial scales. Its realisation suggests the need for a reinvigoration of democratic processes and a commitment to greater equity. Such a transformation is necessary if sustainable forms of development are to be realised.