Evaluation in Planning

Evaluation is a critical stage in urban and regional planning and development. The full impacts of well-intentioned initiatives are rarely anticipated, and evaluation of alternative proposals is essential for informed debate and decision. Evaluation in planning has become even more important with the new paradigm attempting to integrate economic efficiency with equity, sustainability and social responsibility. The craft of pre-development evaluation has long been influenced by Nathaniel Lichfield, and in his honour, this book brings together prominent researchers and practitioners to discuss evaluation in planning: its conceptual foundations and subsequent development, its strengths and persisting dilemmas, its best practices and their potential for improving future planning and development. These chapters trace evaluation in planning from its historical origin to current applications. Part One - History and Theory - reviews the evolution of evaluation theory and practice, discusses some critical concepts behind plan- and project-evaluation including utilitarianism, rationality, and the public interest, and concludes with critical assessments of some evaluation methods: benefit-cost analysis, and performance-based plan evaluation. Part Two contains a selection of best-practice application: multi-criteria decision support methods for evaluating cultural assets and regional development policies, feasibility testing for sustainability planning, impact evaluation for large-scale transportation projects, and dynamic planning for community impact assessment. The final integrating chapter notes some current problems, and offers directions for future development in evaluation research and practice.