Lots of plans , fewer planners Characteristics of regional planning in Norway

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Lots of plans , fewer plannersCharacteristics
of regional planning in Norway

• by Arthur Wøhni
• Chairman Forum for Municipal planners
• Head of townplanning-department
• Drammen municipality Norway

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About FKP

• Initiated 1989
• Personal membership. NOK 200 (23 ) per year
• About 600 members nation-wide
• Open to all with an interest in planning
• Executive committee
• President, Vice-president (must be employed in
  city/county)
• Three other ExCo members
• Three deputies
• Local fora in each county
• Local issues
• Contact/leader/working group
• Ad hoc working groups

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FKPs goals

• INTERNAL
• Network for exchange and improvement among those
  who are employed in city and county planning
• EXTERNAL
• Actively influence authorities to create better
  opportunities for planning and to inform about
  planning and influence general opinion

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Activities in FKP Internal, national

• Yearly conference
• High professional level, 2 ½ days
• Combination of lectures and presentations, local
  excursion and mutual discussion
• Opportunities to present own work for discussion
• Informational newsletter 4 times a year
• Articles by members
• News from editor
• Study tours
• Every second year
• A member takes initiative and organises

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Activities in FKP Internal, Local

• Fora in counties
• Almost all have local fora but level of activity
  varies
• Seminars, discussion groups, workshops
• Often co-operatively with other advisory
  authorities or professional groups
• Assembly of county reps
• Every second year
• Mutual discussion about activities in local fora
• Self-help and idea exchange

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Activities in FKP External

• Hearing instance for upcoming decisions
• National authorities request input
• We take initiative when NOT asked
• Active in activities outside our network
• Development of municipal planning
• Collection of data on planning
• Guideline development
• Host to others (!)
• Periodicals and conferences
• Members present material on FKP and municipal
  planning
• Articles in planning periodicals
• Lectures and other presentations

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Financing

• Secretariat
• Five Ministries and Norwegian Association of
  Local and Regional Authorities pay labour and
  office costs (about NOK 180.000/20.000)
• Organisation contributes NOK 40.000/4600 to
  general operating expenses
• Association of Local and Regional Authorities
  houses and supports operating costs
• All activities supported by membership dues
• Conferences and study tours
• In principle, self-financed
• Conferences give surplus
• Aid to local fora, upon application, from surplus

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The Norwegian planning system - seen from below
Parliament Government
State

• 1

• 2

• 5

• 4

• 3

Ministries sectorial bodies

• 1

County

• 2

• 5

County level sectorial bodies
Comprehensive municipal planning is it possible ?
Municipality
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Planning functions at the municipal level

• Long term financial plan (12 years)
• Financial plan (4 yr.)
• Long-range strategic / master plan (at least 4
  yr.)
• Land use planning
• 4 year cycle
• Restrictions indefinite, expropriation 10 years
• Plan for municipal activities and expenditures
• 4 year, and yearly
• Budgets

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Lots of plans , less planning?

• State level speak with two tongs
• demand comprehensive planning
• requirement for sectorial plans in connection
  with special programs .
• In Norway the government demand that the
  municipalities make 32 different plans
• Waste deposition, sports facilities, cognitively
  impaired, children care, housing for old people,
  etc. etc.
• Some direct demand
• Some required to get earmarked funds
• Is this the art of planning or making of plans?

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Planning control and clearance

• In principal, the municipality have right to
  adopt plans as they wish
• Innsigelse - the power to stop adoption
• County (cultural heritage, county plan, regional
  interests)
• County governor (environmental concerns, planning
  clearing house)
• Major national interests
• Klage complaint
• Concerned parties can complain
• Adoption suspended
• County governor mediates
• Ministry of Environment decides in the end

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Lots of plans, fewer planners

• Many kommunes without trained planners
• Recruited from other positions
• Combination
• None
• Planning function complex
• Little discretion in what will NOT be planned
• Many alone
• No colleagues in kommune
• Little formal support
• THATS WHY WE HAVE FKP!!!