POSITIONING PLANNING IN A MARKET-ECONOMY

The antagonism of neoliberalism to local intervention raises questions over the future of planning theory and practice. Recent reviews sugge st planning's response to regulatory reform has been to become more fl exible, although this may simply reflect nothing more than instrumenta l pragmatism. Drawing an regulation theory in this paper I review the reforms which have taken place in New Zealand since 1984, when New Zea land moved sharply from a form of regulation described as 'peripheral Fordism' Planning after Fordism risks being confined to mediating envi ronmental relations, despite the likelihood of far-reaching social con flict and economic contradictions in the emergent form of capitalism. Two choices face planning in New Zealand; adapt to the mandate of envi ronmental management or extend planning to confront other (social and economic) challenges in the emergent form of capitalism. The second al ternative requires planners to adopt a more active and critical role t han has been evident to date.