All over the world societies are facing a number of major problems. New developments, challenges and opportunities cause these issues and yet cases tell us that traditional spatial planning responses and tools are often insufficient to tackle these problems and challenges. Situated Practices of Strategic Planning draws together examples from across the globe – from France to Australia; from Nigeria to the United States, as it observes international comparisons of the strategic planning process. Many approaches and policies used today fail to capture the dynamics of urban/regional transformation and are more concerned with maintaining an existing social order than challenging and transforming it. Stewarded by a team of highly regarded and experienced researchers, this book gives a synthetic view of the process of change and frames future directions of development. It is unique for its combination of analysis of international case studies and reflection on critical nodes and features in strategic planning. This volume will be of interest to students who study regional planning, academics, professional planners, and policy makers.

Russ Vince examines learning as both a social and a strategic process, invariably linked to emotions and politics that are mobilized by attempts at learning and organizing. He makes a substantial contribution to theories of organizational learning and develops new ideas about critical reflection and collective leadership. The author outlines a critical perspective on HRD, arguing that staff responsible for learning and change in organizations have put too much effort into the development of individuals and not enough into understanding and engaging with organizational dynamics that limit and shape individuals' opportunities and abilities to learn and change. HRD is explained as an intervention within a political system and practice of management and leadership, with all the difficulties and contradictions that attempting to manage and to lead are likely to contain and reveal. This means that the focus of HRD is on action, on developing the capacity to act, on generating credibility through action, and on influencing and working with others in situations loaded with emotion and politics.

Bringing together authors from academia and practice, this book examines spatial planning at different scales in a number of case studies throughout the British Isles, helping planners to become re-engaged in critical thinking about space and place.

A volume to promote a fundamental policy re-think that will replace what are seen as the often unconnected, piecemeal and mutually exclusive schemes attempted over the years with higher order strategic themes. It suggests an overarching, innovative and radical strategy based on developing business excellence and regional competitiveness.

This Command Paper sets out the Government's strategy for sustainable development, taking into account the national and international developments that have occurred since its previous policy statement ('A better quality of life: a strategy for sustainable development in the United Kingdom', Cm 4345; ISBN 0101434529) published in May 1999, including devolution in Scotland and Wales and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. The strategy is based on four agreed priorities of sustainable consumption and production, climate change, natural resource protection, and sustainable communities with a focus on tackling environmental inequalities; and uses a new indicator set with commitments to look at new indicators such as on well-being. Proposals include: the establishment of a new Community Action 2020 programme; and strengthening the role of the Sustainable Development Commission to ensure an independent review of government progress, with all central government departments and executive agencies to produce sustainable development actions plans by December 2005.

This inquiry arose from the Committee's belief that any benefits of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games should be felt in Wales and not only in London and the South East of England. The Committee cannot yet conclude whether Wales will benefit from the 2012 Games. Few events will be held in Wales and it is not predicted that Wales will benefit greatly from tourism generated by the Games. An opportunity was missed in the original bid to locate events in Wales particularly in respect of mountain biking and canoeing. In retrospect, it now seems misguided to build expensive new venues when such facilities exist in Wales. Lottery funding will be diverted from Wales to fund the Games, with a loss of an estimated £100 million, which will have a long-term effect on grassroots projects with a reduction in the number of new facilities built and possible problems in maintaining current structures. The Government has launched the London 2012 Business Network and CompeteFor, but there Welsh companies currently only account for 2 per cent of all the total number of registrations on the CompeteFor network. The most obvious benefit to Wales arises from the fact that the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London provide a unique opportunity to generate interest in sport amongst children and young people. Disability sports is a great success story for Wales and the community programme ensures that there are opportunities for children and young people with disabilities. It is important that all sections of Welsh society are engaged with the Olympics and Paralympics and its ideals.

Welsh Planning Law and Practice provides a comprehensive guide to the sources and structure of Welsh planning law and a route through its complexity. This is not a comparative study, but rather deals with legislation and policy affecting land in Wales, placing them in the context of shared principles and concepts and the case law common to England and Wales. More than an academic exercise, planning is a practical matter affecting important aspects of daily life, and the desirability of public engagement in the planning process is well settled. This book contributes to the promotion of recognition of the body of Welsh planning law, to aid accessibility for all who practise in or who are (or want to be) involved in shaping development in Wales.