The growth prerogative: What impact does a strategy of ‘going for growth’ have on the quality of local spatial planning policy and decision making?

This PhD investigates the way in which economic growth is ‘privileged’ in public policy using the example of spatial planning policy.

Case study research in a series of English local authorities will examine the assumptions which underpin the dominance of the growth philosophy in each case study area by examining the outcomes that ‘going for growth’ has achieved.  The research will also examine the effect that the pursuit of growth has on the quality of local policy and decision making.

Case study areas

I am keen to work closely with a number of local authority planning departments to explore these issues in more depth during the course of my research.  If you are interested in becoming a case study area, please contact me for further details.

Disseminating research findings

I’ll be using this blog site to disseminate my thoughts, ideas and research findings and to provoke debate about how else we might re-conceptualize the relationship between place and growth.