The intelligent city and planning policy

In the UK especially, apart from broad strategic aims set out in
unitary development plans, planning policy is essentially reactive
and confrontational.

 The planning system will need to shift from defining possible 
products and acceptable standards, to becoming the process 
enabler, by working to articulate ambitions for development 
and acting to manage the process. 
Re-orienting policy towards process, rather than product, is the 
means to  achieving effective policy in tune with the requirements 
of urban intelligence. 
The current focus of the planning system is largely based on the 
physical (or environmental) system, the process
container, at the expense of the requirements of urban processes.
The focus of the planning system should be to set strategic goals,
and then to work with both developer and user organizations to
ensure that the city enables transaction and freedom for residents
and organizations