Shaping Communities: Reflecting on 75 Years of World Town Planning Day

Delving into the history of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) reveals a treasure trove of journal archives chronicling “the experiences and work of planners.” 

Volume 1 (1914-1915) includes a contribution from Sir Raymond Unwin on ‘The Work of the Town Planning Institute’, or what we presently refer to as the RTPI. In this, Unwin comments on the value of different points of view and interests being represented through the Institute: 

“The policy of uniting in this Institute members of all the professions connected with Town Planning has been amply justified by the very great interest and value of having each point of view represented in our discussions.”  

At the time, Unwin is writing of a fledgling Institute. The RTPI is now in its 110th year, and by allowing free access to view these historical archives the RTPI invites “consideration and reflection” from its members about how the profession has strived for positive change. In part, this is the motivation of World Town Planning Day.  

Introduced by Professor Carlos Maria della Paolera in 1949, this year marks the 75th anniversary of World Town Planning Day, so today the RTPI intend to focus on the role of planners and planning in delivering housing that meets the needs of our communities.  

Unwin believed that the meetings and other work undertaken by the Institute helped “to see matters in their true proportion”, so as a further iteration of the NPPF makes its way as part of a package of planning reform, the continued efforts of planners from all sectors, through various professional and voluntary commitments, has been placed into sharp focus.   

There is a pronounced and clearly evidenced need for housing, and the process of undertaking meaningful public consultation is an important part of that delivery. There are many ways this can be undertaken, and methods of engagement are continually being improved to operate more effectively and efficiently.  

The proliferation of digital technologies used in public consultation is debated, and academics have suggested that while these technologies offer opportunities to increase the scope of engagement, the capacity to increase their ‘democratic potential’ remains a work in progress.  

There are methods of engagement which are more effective than others, or particular approaches identified as more appropriate for a given circumstance. The planning profession should continually seek to evaluate how engagement can be improved to better capture the interests and views of local residents and other stakeholders.  

Having previously volunteered for the RTPI in a ‘young planner’ capacity, learning from other planners in different sectors from all regions and nations, it is encouraging to know that planners are continually pushing their capacity to share their experiences and expertise. Through the RTPI, there is a great emphasis on knowledge sharing between peers in the planning profession, and in our ambitions to create equitable, inclusive and sustainable solutions for all, the lessons we learn from other planners are important in influencing our own approach to public consultation as we seek to provide housing that better reflects the interests and views of our communities, fostering long-term satisfaction and pride.  

Sir Raymond Unwin was heartened by the different views represented in the early discussions held by the Institute, and we should likewise seek to find a similar sense of value in the discussions of our own as we continue to consult the different interests and views involved in delivering housing that meets the needs of communities.  

World Town Planning Day celebrates planners and good planning across 30 countries, so try to pause and accept the RTPI’s invitation to consider and reflect on how the profession has strived for positive change. It’s not perfect, and it’s certainly not easy, but good planning is underpinned by an innate desire to make places better, and this surely forms a solid basis for us to help create housing that provides equitable, inclusive, and sustainable solutions for all.

Contributor: Christian Cardiss, Lanpro Senior Planner.