The Politics and Ideology of Planning combines analysis of ideological grounding of planning with the day-to-day realities of planning politics in the UK, providing a historical backdrop and exposing who is acting for what purposes in the battlegrounds of planning today.

Planning is a battleground of ideas and interests, perhaps more visibly and continuously than ever before in the UK. These battles play out nationally and at every level, from cities to the smallest neighbourhoods. Marshall goes to the root of current planning models and exposes who is acting for what purposes across these battlegrounds. He examines the ideological structuring of planning and the interplay of political forces which act out conflicting interest positions. This book discusses how structures of planning can be improved, exploring how we can generate more effective political engagements in the future.