This title was first published in 2003: The advent of the Labour government in 1997 provoked major change in the political landscape of the UK. Priorities changed and different themes moved to the top of the agenda such as local democracy, community, transparency, sustainability and co-ordinated or 'joined-up' thinking. Many of the new priorities, such as community empowerment, involved a reappraisal of the purpose and procedures of planning, while others changed the legislative and institutional frame within which planning operated. This indispensable volume traces and analyzes the implications for planning created by this political shift. Presenting an overview of the general debates on contemporary UK planning, the book proceeds to identify four major areas as key themes for planning in the third millennium. These are: the new institutional context; ensuring social inclusion and participation; promoting sustainability; and the debate over building at higher densities on Brownfield sites. Illustrated with in-depth case studies, the book provides a timely and important examination of the current state of planning in the UK and suggests best-case scenarios for the future.