New Pluralism

Universal principles regarding planning have increasingly broken down as a consequence of the move against ‘one plan fits all’. No standardized construction along modernist lines—now the planning opinion is in favour of being

• sensitive to local differences (that is where the sociologists come in)
• willingness to accept democratic inputs.
• Mismatch between desirable standard and resources available
• Many informal structures fulfill the needs of the people—street, market, slums difficult to eliminate in the name of progress.

Planning has its origin in the belief that a well-designed, comprehensively planned city would be a socially ameliorative one. It is ‘environmental determinism’. The goals of planning have subsequently become more modest and the belief that the physical environment can profoundly affect social behaviour has diminished. But it is a part of public policy and even though it does not radically alter human behaviour, it contributes to the improvement in the quality of life for a great number of people.