ABSTRACT
The history just examined connects directly to thinking about regional planning. Not surprisingly, the times of most real activity have been the times of most publication, most strikingly the 1970s and the 1990s/2000s. So, 30 years ago saw a major burst of British writing on regional planning. At that stage consideration of the process of doing regional planning took a relatively secondary position. There was some discussion of appropriate or normal organisational forms, and Alden and Morgan (1974) did devote a chapter to the topic. But more normally it was assumed that a mix of ‘standard’ technical and political procedures would deliver the relevant plan. The problem was seen as much more what techniques to use, on the basis of what substantive theorising or understanding of the region being planned. Those matters are clearly very much still at the core of any discussion of regional planning. But now this question of how, of procedure and process, and of politics mixed up with this, is also a key part of any introduction to current practice and thinking.
