This is a comprehensive review of the actuality of planning in the past few years; as such it is suitable for students of town planning, as well as surveyors, engineers, architects and developers.

A collection of stimulating essays exploring the wide-ranging debates surrounding the relationship between business and society in 21st century Ireland.Wide-ranging, diverse and thought-provoking contributions from leading business researchers, economists, sociologists and political scientists from Ireland and abroad probe five central themes: the making and unmaking of the Celtic Tiger; governance, regulation and justice; partnership and participation; the nature of Irish borders ...

Adult social care in Britain has been at the centre of much media and public attention in recent years. Revelations of horrific abuse in learning disability settings, the collapse of major private care home providers, abject failures of inspection and regulation, and uncertainty over how long-term care of older people should be funded have all given rise to serious public concern. In this short form book, part of the Critical and Radical Debates in Social Work series, Iain Ferguson and Mic...

This book brings together a rich selection of up-to-date practical experience of EU regional policy from across Europe. It provides different perspectives on the design and operation of regional development strategies under the Structural Funds, from people closely involved in studying, managing or advising on the process at EU, national and regional levels. It therefore offers a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of the structural policies than has been available hitherto. This...

Since first publication in 1982, Howard Elcock's Local Government has established a reputation as a comprehensive and unbiased account of how British local government really works. This respected textbook has been completely revised and rewritten for its third edition, to take account of changes in local government and in the circumstances in which it operates. The third edition examines new management structures and accountabilities that follow the policy initiatives of the centr...

This book examines countries that have tried, with varying degrees of success, to use legislative strategies to encourage and support collective bargaining, including Australia’s Fair Work Act. It is the first major study of the operation and impact of the new collective bargaining framework introduced under the Fair Work Act, combining theoretical and practical perspectives. In addition, a number of comparative pieces provide rich insights into the Australian legislation’s adaptation of c...

Public sector bureaucracies have been subjected to harsh criticism. One solution which has been widely adopted over the past two decades has been to 'unbundle government' - that is to break down monolithic departments and ministries into smaller, semi-autonomous 'agencies'. These are often governed by some type of performance contract, are at 'arm's length' or further from their 'parent' ministry or department and are freed from many of the normal rules governing civil service bodies. This...

Regional Planning provides a comprehensive introduction to the concepts and theory of regional planning in the UK. Drawing on examples from throughout the UK, it provides students and practitioners with a descriptive and analytical foundation for understanding this rapidly changing area of planning.The book includes four main sections covering:the context and history of regional planningtheoretical approachesevolving practicefutu...

Introducing you to the public policy making process in Britain today, this book adopts an empirical approach to the study of policy making by relating theory to actual developments in Britain since the 1980s. It covers:Ideas, Problem Definition, Issues and Agenda-SettingKey IndividualsKey InstitutionsParliament and Public Policy ImplementationThe shift from Government to Governance (including marketization, and devolution)The ...

In developing public procurement policy, governments are often concerned not only with value for money but also with promoting their social and environmental objectives. However, imposing social and environmental requirements makes it harder for some suppliers to participate in public procurement. EC law thus limits the ability of national governments to implement such policies. But how should the balance be struck between these trade concerns and the desire of national governments to use ...

Despite the combined efforts of British planners, politicians, the public and interest groups, the ‘Solent City’ stands as one of a number of instances of a peculiar instance of urban sprawl – muted, and slow to emerge – yet produced paradoxically by very strong interests in promoting conservation and restraint.This unique and valuable case study, while focusing on the planning and development of South Hampshire in particular, enables an in-depth study of the issues surrounding pla...

Government information systems are big business (costing over 1 per cent of GDP a year). They are critical to all aspects of public policy and governmental operations. Governments spend billions on them - for instance, the UK alone commits £14 billion a year to public sector IT operations. Yet governments do not generally develop or run their own systems, instead relying on private sector computer services providers to run large, long-run contracts to provide IT. Some of the biggest compan...