National Planning Framework Research Articles

From two-dimensional to three-dimensional marine spatial planning methodology: A case study of Qidong

The oceans are three-dimensional (3D) spaces, resource redistribution has long tended to involve two-dimensional (2D) planning, which has obscured the resource attributes and ecological features of the ocean's different layers, and is prone to cause erroneous sea-use conflicts. This study established a new 3D marine spatial planning (MSP) method consisting of ecological protection zoning (EPZ) and intensive sea-use zoning (ISZ) programs involving marine 3D spatial laying: EPZ was determined using a Marxan model. Based on spatial idleness and environmental friendliness principles, and appropriate newly added sea-use activities were designed to form synergistic sea-use combinations to establish an ISZ program. A case study of Qidong was conducted to test the applicability of the 3D planning program and compare the differences in the zoning results according to the two scenarios of ecological protection and exploitation. Results indicated that EPZ of mid-bottom waterbodies accounted for the highest proportion (47.62%). The best solutions and planning units selected frequency grading could be achieved separately for two scenarios of EPZ. For ISZ, the zoning for both scenarios achieves a synergistic effect between the newly added sea-use activities in the transportation zone; through the northward shift of sea-use in the southern fairway of Qidong, this sea-use activity converted the initially antagonistic attributes with the ecological protection zone to a synergistic purpose. Differences in the results of the intensive sea use zoning between the two scenarios were manifested in the EPZ and surrounding sea use activities, focusing on fishing and ecological control zones and the arrangement of wind power. The 3D MSP methods can address the conflict between some sea-use activities in 2D planning and the conflict between stakeholders competing for the sea-use right, and it also provides a solution for the coastal government to redistribute the marine resources and coordinate the sea-use elements. The relevant practice can provide theoretical and technical support for ecological protection, intensive and economical utilization of marine spatial resources, and national spatial planning framework improvement.

Rurality, islandness and public policy in Scotland

ABSTRACT Territorial classifications are routinely used in public policy. In Scotland, the primary classification used to delimit what, where and who is ‘rural’ is the Scottish Government’s Urban Rural Classification, introduced in 2003. However, in the recent past, there appears to have been a reframing of ‘rural definitions’ in the Scottish policy context. We highlight some of the challenges associated with developing a more nuanced framing of ‘rural’, drawing upon an analysis of responses to the statutory consultations associated with three recent items of draft legislation: namely, the 2015 consultation on provisions for a future Islands Bill, the 2019 consultation on a proposal for a Remote Rural Communities Bill, and the 2020–2021 consultation to support the preparation of the Fourth National Planning Framework. Implications of these new framings for rural policy, planning and development are discussed. Our conclusion is that, while no territorial classification system is perfect, extending the use of existing tools may offer both robust policy support as well as meaningful insights that differentiate types of ‘rural’ in a way that is a better fit for current purposes.

Monkeypox Emergence Post-COVID: Insight into Egyptian Older Adult's Awareness, Concern, and Mental Health.

Aim: To identify Egyptian older adults' awareness, concerns, and mental health about the monkeypox outbreak. Background: In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, monkeypox disease is receiving more attention. The monkeypox virus outbreak has posed a global concern, especially to older adults with comorbidities. Natural disasters, and endemic affect older persons' mental health. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive design was followed. Methods: 254 older adults were recruited from three outpatient clinics using consecutive sampling using four tools. Results: 74.0% of older study participants were unaware of monkeypox. Gender, level of education, residence, worry about contracting monkeypox infection, and mental distress are predictors of awareness about monkeypox (p < .001). Worry of contracting monkeypox infection was common among female participants (p = .038), highly educated (p = .001), who had a low level of awareness and high level of mental distress (p = .001 for both). Conclusion: Awareness of monkeypox was associated with worry and mental distress. Gerontological nurses have a vital role in contacting older adults and providing care and education that decreases worry and preserves minds and feelings, improving their quality of life. Establishing a national strategic planning and crisis prevention framework to alleviate psychological distress and prevent mental health issues from deteriorating in this group is crucial.

Metropolitanization, civic capacity and metropolitan governance: Ireland in the metropolitan century

ABSTRACT The dynamics and politics of metropolitanization in Ireland have received limited attention, attributed in part to Ireland’s historic culturally embedded urban–rural divide. The publication of the National Planning Framework (2018) demonstrates an effort by the Irish government to centre spatial thinking on Ireland’s five major cities. However, despite evidence of enhanced civic engagement, the Irish case demonstrates the challenges of creating a metropolitan state-space in a country with a traditionally strong rural identity. Drawing on Nelles’ concept of civic capital and the importance of mobilizing a metropolitan identity, in this paper we draw attention to four factors that constrain the formation of the metropolitan civic identity necessary for spatial planning efforts to succeed: the lack of an urban identity, discordant temporalities, the absence of key enablers and misaligned governance structures. Our study adopts an exploratory research design using critical discourse analysis of key documents, participant observation, semi-structured interviews and survey methodology to further the understanding of metropolitanization processes, provide insights into alternative forms of metropolitan governance and discuss the limits of civic capital. We conclude that it is critical to understand the nature of the state in order to understand the accumulation (or not) of metropolitan civic capital.

Noise and Deprivation in Scotland's Four Largest Cities: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee

Scotland's draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) Integrated Impact Assessment states that deprived communities tend to be exposed to higher levels of noise than those in less deprived areas. However, this has not yet been specifically investigated in Scotland. The majority of studies find a higher likelihood of noise exposure in deprived communities, although some find the opposite to be true, suggesting that the relationship is highly dependent on the context of the study area. To address a need in the literature for more research in this area and to comment on the statement in NPF4, a spatial analysis has been conducted using Scottish Government published datasets, the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation and the Round 3 Noise Mapping. A statistically significant positive relationship between noise exposure and multiple deprivation is found in Glasgow. No statistically significant relationship between noise exposure and multiple deprivation is found for Aberdeen, Dundee or Edinburgh. The relationships between deprivation and both Noise Management Areas and proximity to Quiet Areas are explored.

Everything Stays the Same while Everything Changes

Everything Stays the Same while Everything Changes

The changing map of subnational governance in the Republic of Ireland

Abstract The evolution of the territorial structure of Ireland’s system of local government during the period of colonial rule by England is outlined. The independence period saw little change in this structure until the abolition of municipal-level government in 2014, reflecting the very marginal role of devolved administration in Ireland’s political system. The creation and functioning of regional-level administrative systems, mainly related to the management of EU Structural Fund expenditure, are reviewed. Regional assemblies, established in 2015, have the role of preparing regional strategies under the 2018 National Planning Framework. Ongoing problems arising from a mismatch between subnational governance systems and underlying socio-spatial structures are discussed.

Economic Policy of the Late Soviet Period: The Problem of Setting Priorities

This article examines the ways and means used to set priorities in the late Soviet economic policy. Referring to the analysis of documents and existing historiography, the author substantiates the conclusion about the fact that their choice was made outside of the routine national economic planning framework. They were structured as projects (megaprojects, programmes) of national significance. Their implementation had a tremendous effect on the country’s economic development. It would suffice to mention the creation of the nuclear weapons complex and the aerospace industry, the establishment of the Siberian branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the economic development of the West Siberian oil and gas province, the formation of the territorial production conglomerations in the Angara-Yenisei region, the construction of the Baikal-Amur highway, etc. Decisions on launching these programmes were made in the form of “resolutions of the Communist Party and Government”. However, it was necessary to conform to them in the process of both long-term and operational planning (adjustment). In this way, the national scale economic goals were set apparently without any prior discussion. Moreover, the tougher the administrative regulation methods, the closer were the results achieved to the initial intentions. A very good example of this was the nuclear project. At the same time, the liberalisation of the regulation mode and the transformation of the “command” economy into the economy of “coordinated approvals” resulted in the loss of administrative regulation efficiency. In the absence of market signals or sanctions, this inevitably led to a misalignment of the economic development plans and results. By the end of the Soviet period, the prevailing opinion was that the only way to improve the balance would be a move of the economy to a “market-based track”. However, there was no clarity on how to do this. Hence, a series of ill-conceived actions, resulting in a complete loss of centralised planning and management. Not being guided by any commands “from above” or the market, the economy was in a state of “free fall”.

Development cooperation and national planning: analysing Finnish complicity in postcolonial Tanzania’s decentralization reform and regional development

ABSTRACT Architecture and planning projects dominated Finnish-Tanzanian development cooperation in the 1970s. While few previous connections between Finland and sub-Saharan Africa existed, the adoption of international aid operations in Finnish foreign policy provided a pathway for architects and planners to partake in the nation-building endeavours of socialist Tanzania. Through archival analysis, this paper provides a comprehensive perspective into how a Finnish development cooperation agency and development employees (architects included) worked for the benefit of the implementation of Tanzanian socialist policy and aimed to advance regional development as well as to serve the purposes of ujamaa and the authoritarian one-party governance system. The Uhuru Corridor Regional Physical Plan (1975–1978) that followed became the first attempt at large-scale regional planning in Tanzania and attempted to establish regional planning as a solid part of state management. The paper suggests that within the framework of national planning, the difference between a development cooperation project and a planning project is obscure, and it demonstrates that basing research on the conceptual likenesses between planning and development can provide fruitful approaches to planning history.

An evaluation of the environmental impact assessment practice in Uganda: challenges and opportunities for achieving sustainable development

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a broad process that emerged from the National Environment Policy Act, 1970 in the U.S. Its primary objective is to generate information on the likely impacts of a project on all aspects of the environment and used in agency decision making and in the long run protect the environment and achieve sustainable development. EIA practice in Uganda was formally established through the National Environment Act, 1995 and now in practice for over 25 years. However, there is increasing level of water pollution especially Lake Victoria, rivers, streams, aquifers and soils. This research reviewed the institutional, legal and regulatory framework for EIA, related literature and EIA documents especially EIA reports and conducted key EIA stakeholders survey using questionnaires to identify capacity and practice issues. The results revealed that, there was gap between law and practice arising from inadequate and ineffective public participation, weak follow-up, low key stakeholder's capacity, political interference, lack of SEA practice and not embracing EIA in a transboundary context. However, there is fairly good and comprehensive institutional, legislative and regulatory framework for EIA, good local governance structures, adequate staffing, robust national planning framework, active non-state actors and regional groupings. In order to maximize the potential of EIA as a means for achieving the SDGs, we recommended measures to address the challenges facing the EIA practice as well as utilize the existing opportunities within the context in which EIA is applied.

Forecasting the impact of the Planning, Land Use and Transport Outlook (PLUTO) Project – a 2040 Ireland case study

In February 2018 the Irish Government unveiled a new National Planning Framework (NPF), which underpinned ‘Project Ireland 2040’ - a national development and capital investment plan to the year 2040. The chief aim of which is to mandate and direct planning and infrastructure investment decision making over coming two decades in order to cater for projected population growth of one million people in a balanced and sustainable manner. In order to support this vision, the National Development Plan (NDP) was published alongside the NPF and sets out a €116bn public capital investment programme to cover the first decade of the NPF to 2027. Planning Land Use and Transport Outlook 2040 (PLUTO) is the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport’s (DTTAS) response to the new NPF and NDP. The objective of PLUTO is to update the existing framework for transport investment published in 2015 to ensure alignment with Project Ireland 2040. This paper presents the transportation modelling and analysis of the schemes included in the NPF and NDP scenarios for Dublin City, which were conducted by the National Transport Authority (NTA) as part of the PLUTO project. The NTA’s modelling capabilities were utilised to highlight the transport ‘pressure zones’ in the existing Dublin City road network, in addition to identifying where new pressures, in terms of volume capacity and delay, may emerge as a result of population growth and consequential travel demand expected by 2040. This paper presents the results of this study produced from the NTA Regional Modelling System as a means of predicting and highlighting areas showing signs of stress in the urban road network in 2040, in addition to assessing the impact of introducing road, public transport and cycling schemes proposed under the NDP. This study identifies areas in the network that may require attention and warrant further investment in the next two decades in order to alleviate the forecasted pressure areas in the future road network.

Science and Technology Policy for Nigeria's Development Planning

Science &amp; Technology (S&amp;T) is recognised in intellectual discourse and public policymaking as strategic for development in contemporary times. The study assesses development planning experience in Nigeria and attempts to make a case for the integration of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policy within the overall framework of national development planning. Content analyses of the development plan documents were made alongside exposition on theoretical perspectives on S&amp;T for growth and development. The framework leads to some implications for Nigeria's development plan. A survey of the theoretical perspectives on the interrelations between STI and national development is also undertaken. As Science &amp; Technology planning is grossly lacking in Nigeria’s development planning, the paper prescribes principles for effective interfacing of STI policy with national development plans. It draws attention to the essence of regular exchange of information between the sectors of Nigeria's economy and the Ministry of Science &amp; Technology and the National Planning Commission, both at construction and implementation of plans. Development planning in Nigeria will serve the better if it is comprehensive and detailed to include S&amp;T policy and programme. The regimes of ad-hoc/disintegrated sectoral reforms must no longer be allowed to rob the economy of desired growth and development. While the planning of STI activities is of critical importance, the paper seems the first to call attention to the significance of integrating STI with the overall framework of national planning in Nigeria.

A planning strategy for the adaptation of coastal areas to climate change: The Spanish case

In a context of growing concern about climate change and its potential consequences for coastal systems, adaptation is becoming more important than ever before. This paper presents a national planning framework for adaptation to climate change, which is pioneer in the field as it is multi-sectoral and focuses specifically on coastal areas, pursuing the safety of their communities in an uncertain future. The strategy is statutory as it emanates from the new Spanish Coastal Law, which in addition to many other implications includes the compulsory development of a Spanish Strategy for Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change (SSCACC) and its submission to Strategic Environmental Assessment. This paper covers the fundamental aspects of both the SSCACC and the accompanying Strategic Environmental Study, providing recommendations on the assessment of coastal risks triggered by climate change and extreme events, adaptation and risk reduction planning and implementation, and monitoring. Additionally, this work gives insight into the wide-ranging consultation process carried out prior to the SSCACC's approval and the stakeholders involved, and how the SSCACC handles climate change uncertainty and struggles for overcoming barriers.

Visions and plans for regional development in Ireland

Abstract The evolution of spatial planning in Ireland, and more widely, has been a complex process in which many narratives have been explored at different times. In 2018 the government published the National Planning Framework (NPF) to guide and support the achievement of a challenging and potentially transformative development strategy for Ireland 2040. The NPF is grounded in a vision that sets out to be disruptive of what has become embedded as the status quo in political, administrative and planning decision-making. While it is a very innovative addition to the portfolio of government policies and strategies, it is not the first time that radical visions have been proposed. This paper reviews previous visions and plans for regional development that have been proposed over the last seventy-five years, and critically compares and contrasts the approaches represented by the National Spatial Strategy (2002–20) and the NPF (2018–40), including the subsequent draft regional spatial and economic strategies. The implications of the population projections and the proposed settlement patterns for the achievement of the NPF objective of effective regional development, which is expressed as a regional parity target, are closely examined.

The Buchanan report and its aftermath: Implications for Irish regional planning

Abstract The so-called Buchanan report, commissioned by the Irish government and published in May 1969, comprised a set of proposals for regional industrial development in Ireland over the period 1966–86. The main thrust of the report was the concentration of the great bulk of new industrial employment creation in Dublin and eight proposed ‘growth centres’. The plan provided for the creation of powerful planning authorities to oversee development in the regions. The government rejected these proposals and opted instead to continue with the existing policy of widespread dispersal of new industry. While meeting with initial success, this policy proved unsustainable in the long term. The paper reviews the implications of the Buchanan report experience for the regional planning process in Ireland, arguing that failure to learn from this experience served to undermine the National Spatial Strategy, with a similar fate likely for the forthcoming National Planning Framework.

Fifty years of urbanisation in Ireland: Structural and spatial evolution of the urban hierarchy since Buchanan

AbstractIn the fifty years since the publication of the Buchanan report,Regional Studies in Ireland, Ireland has transitioned from a rural to an urban society. Although a number of spatial plans have been introduced at regional and local levels, the growth of over 1.5 million people in the urban population has occurred in the absence of any strong national-level direction of spatial or settlement policy. This paper examines the nature of urbanisation in the half-century since 1966, by looking at the development of the urban hierarchy of cities and towns. Significant long-term changes in both the structure and the spatial expression of the urban hierarchy are identified, on the basis of which urbanisation is characterised as having been deconcentrated and decentralised. The paper identifies some implications of the observed shifts for contemporary policy concerns, and in particular the 2018National Planning Framework.

Recent research progress of solar physics in China

Solar physics focuses on the star that is not only closest but most important to us. The study of solar physics is one of the most active interdisciplinary frontiers of astronomy, planetary and space science, plasma physics, etc. The eventual solution of many fundamental scientific problems would greatly benefit from breakthroughs in solar physics, e.g., problems such as the origin of magnetic field in astronomical objects, the formation and evolutionary mechanisms of the stellar magnetic cycle, the impact of stellar magnetic activities on the habitability of planets and the origin of life, and the forecast of solar eruptions to guard against adverse space weather effects. In the last ten years, solar physics has stepped into an era of multi-messenger, full electromagnetic spectrum, full time-domain, high-resolution, multi-scale, multi-view and high-precision detection. A new era is looming on the horizon with two revolutionary missions, namely, Parker Solar Probe, which was launched in 2018 and will probe the solar corona from as close as 6 million kilometers to the Sun’s surface, and Solar Orbiter, which will be launched in 2020 to image the Sun’s polar regions for the first time. In China, the first space mission dedicated to the Sun, the Advanced Space Based Solar Observatory (ASO-S), will be launched in 2021, targeting the next solar cycle. In addition, the Advanced Ground Based Solar Observatory (ASO-G) has been incorporated within the framework of national planning; under construction are two important instruments for solar physics, MUSER (Mingantu Ultrawide Spectral Radioheliograph) and AIMS (Accurate Infrared Magnetic field measurements of the Sun). Embracing the upcoming advancement in observing the Sun, we review in this article the prominent progresses made by Chinese scholars in the last ten years, mainly in studying the solar magnetic field, fine structures and dynamics of the lower atmosphere, and solar eruptions. At the frontier of solar magnetism, we have made headway in predicting the solar cycle, understanding the magnetic topology and the evolution of magnetic helicity, and modeling the coronal magnetic field. At the frontier of fine structures and dynamics of the lower atmosphere, we have advanced the understanding of not only new phenomena, such as ultraviolet bursts, but also traditional subjects, such as sunspot light bridges, Ellerman bombs, as well as mass and energy transfer from the lower to higher atmosphere. At the frontier of solar eruptions, we have made progress in identifying the eruption progenitor, clarifying its formation, structure, and evolution toward eruption as well as the subsequent propagation and interaction in interplanetary space, and understanding various aspects and consequences of magnetic reconnection, a fundament plasma process in the universe. On the basis of the review, we look forward to the future development of solar physics in China and to the prospect of Chinese scholars making even more substantial contributions to the solar physics research.

Centralising health in national spatial planning frameworks: insights from Ireland

ABSTRACTThis article examines attempts to embed health within national spatial planning, drawing on a case study of Ireland. We chart how national planning frameworks have shifted from a focus on spatial coordination of health-care provision towards a Health-in-All-Policies approach to centralise healthy places within Ireland’s recent National Planning Framework.

Ireland’s New National Planning Framework: (Re)Balancing and (Re)Conceiving Planning for the Twenty-First Century?

ABSTRACTThis article examines the recent evolution of national spatial planning in Ireland, focusing on the recent publication of National Planning Framework (NPF) in 2018. The NPF is Ireland’s second national strategy for spatial development and represents a further shift away from traditional land-use regulation towards broader-based strategic spatial planning. In this commentary, we reflect on official perspectives regarding the role that planning should perform in a period of significant social, economic and environmental change and how planning policy conceives of ‘balance’ between competing priorities in the ‘public interest’. We contend that this ‘balance’ is weighted heavily towards development enablement.

Marine spatial planning in Romania: State of the art and evidence from stakeholders

During the last decades, increasing demands on marine resources and unsustainable activities taking place in the marine area compromise the future use of the marine environment. In July 2014 the European Parliament and Council established a Guideline Framework for marine/maritime spatial planning (MSP). MSP is a useful and cost-effective tool for sustainable development, together with regulation and protection of the marine environment. Within this context, Romania has started to proceed and incorporate it in the national legislation framework; in 2017, it has also established a competent authority for its implementation so that marine spatial plans can be enacted by 31 March 2021. In this study, a first approach for MSP framework in Romania was developed, enabling the mapping of all current human activities related to shipping, oil and gas exploitation, fisheries, tourism and environmental status, in order to identify overlaps or potential conflicts among users. This paper identifies key challenges and concerns anticipated to emerge from incorporation of MSP in the national spatial planning framework as it is currently organized: a) Romanian stakeholders have a relatively poor understanding of European, national and regional sea planning regulations, b) concerns related to MSP implementation at regulatory level, c) huge need for sharing of MSP-relevant information for a coherent planning, d) challenges of assessing the needs of interconnected ecosystems (including relevant EU and international legislation). In this context, our study covers highly actual aspects concerning the way the marine spatial planning process evolves and will contribute to deliver a coherent approach to reduce conflicts of the Romanian marine environment, a proper MSP implementation, as well as minimizing the pressures and impacts on the marine resources.