Decision Step 2: Define Development Planning Regions & Jurisdictions
Why is decision step two important?
Define Development Planning Regions & Jurisdictions
- Regional planning encompasses all human relations as they exist within time and space.
- Within regional social, economic and environmental agglomerations, public problems usually manifest as wicked problems; therefore, all planning decisions should be informed by their temporal and spatial dimensions, i.e., their nature and scope.
- When the dimensions of public problems are not fully considered, policy solutions can be misaligned with their spatial and social dimensions.
- Examining the regional and social dimensions of public problems will enable development planners to design targeted solutions that align with regional community needs and resource requirements.
- Therefore, integrating the regional dimensions of public problems into development planning ensures that policy solutions are responsive to regional dynamics and demands.
| Who should consider step 2? | When to consider step 2? |
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Selected tools to implement step 2
- The seven C’s of urban design
- Community and participatory planning tool kit
- Design charettes
- Regional development atlas
- Scoping reviews, or gap analysis of legislation, policy/strategies, plans and programs.
- Risks/vulnerability assessment frameworks.
- Feasibility studies
Note:
- In the strategic development planning pathway, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in the Division of Planning and Development, DPD in the THA, will have overall responsibility for regional planning and development (see Section in the Institutional Arrangements, in the Governance tab in the main menu).
- The Department of Urban and Regional Planning will be subsumed within the DPD.
- In Tobago, the Tobago House of Assembly has responsibility for Town and Country Planning (see THA Act 40 of 1995, fifth schedule, item 15).
Note also: For plans related to key sectors, such as those for education, healthcare, and agriculture, regional issues can also be addressed using the Regional Development Goals (see decision step 4).
Key Decision Points
- Define the regional nature and scope of public problems.
- Consider the existing regional institutional framework for policy implementation, e.g. the National Spatial Development Strategy.
- Know which agencies possess authority for regional planning and development, e.g., Town and Country Planning.
- Consider the demands for regional social, cultural, and economic development.
- Consider whether the natural resource contexts align with prescribed or probable regional development solutions.
- Consider how regional development aligns with short, medium and long-term population and economic growth.
Summary of Main Considerations
The spatial extent of the development authority of the Tobago House of Assembly.
Identifying the planning jurisdiction
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- The THA is currently working to establish demographic, socio-economic and environmental data profiles for all villages in Tobago. This data will serve as the primary socio-spatial data repository for the Strategic Development Planning Pathway.
- In line with the recommendations of the SDPP, the THA will develop an online regional development atlas, in lieu of a regional development plan. The atlas will serve as an online tool to provide spatial and attribute data to guide all forms of socio-spatial planning in Tobago.
