Bridging Top Down and Bottom Up: Modelling Community Preferences for a Dispersed Rural Settlement Pattern

Abstract

This paper explores the scope to bridge top-down and bottom-up perspectives on spatial planning by drawing on EU-funded action research in relation to rural settlement planning in Northern Ireland. The empirical work is located within a review of planning theory that exposes a long running tension between the technocratic stances of government planners and the aspirations of engaged citizens. It demonstrates the operation of a large group planning methodology that delivers community preference with environmental responsibility as a participatory input into planning policy formulation. Transferable insights into the dynamics of spatial planning are identified.

Acknowledgement

The authors wish to thank Sarah McCann who supported this project in her capacity as Research Assistant.

Notes

Within Northern Ireland, the SPAN partnership involves the Institute of Spatial and Environmental Planning at Queen's University Belfast and Rural Community Network. The partners are National University of Ireland Maynooth and Southside Partnership (Dublin) in Ireland, Universite Libre de Bruxelles and Fondation Rurale de Wallonie in Belgium and Universite de Reims and Reims Management School in France. The project is funded under the EU INTERREG 111B North West Europe programme. The overall project has commanded a budget over the period 2003–2008 of some [euro]4.9 million.

The Good Friday Agreement (10 April 1998) and its subsequent endorsement in a peace referendum (22 May 1998) in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland created momentum towards long-term stability in this part of Europe.

Gillen, J. (2007) Judgement approved by the Court for handing down in the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland Queen's Bench Division (Judicial Review) in the matter of an application by Omagh District Council for Judicial Review. Reference: GILC5915, delivered 7/9/07.

An overall total of 661 questionnaires were returned from households selected through a process of systematic random sampling across these three study areas. The survey had four primary aims related to understanding relationships within and connectedness to each locality, attitudes to the Northern Ireland countryside, living experiences within each locality and attitudes to and involvement in rural planning. For details of the findings, contact the authors of this paper.

Queen's University Belfast (Institute of Spatial and Environmental Planning) and Rural Community Network (2007) Participatory rural planning: resources–methodology–analysis. This information pack contains video, PowerPoint materials and locality analyses and is available free on request from the authors of this paper.

In many parts of rural Northern Ireland, there is a complex alchemy of religious, cultural and political attributes that has given rise to segregated communities, single identity social infrastructure, the pervasive deployment of flags and emblems as signifiers of territorial allegiance, paramilitary induced intimidation, civil violence and murder. Over the period of the recent “Troubles” in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s, this pilot action territory has suffered considerably and thus will require in-depth and long-term confidence building work across contested traditions in order to create a shared community future. This is well beyond the scope of the current research project reported in this paper.