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America's long post war boom was underpinned by the state, by Roosevelt's New Deal, by its wartime economy, and by Roosevelt's plans for investment in post war science and infrastructure. In the 1970s America abandoned its developmental model, as critics from left and right attacked plans and planners: yet in the fast rising states of Asia it was embraced. Is it too late for a wakeup call in America and Britain, the champions of anti-planning and the small state? This paper looks for explanations, examines consequences and suggests that the Covid pandemic may trigger a sea change in norms, values and attitudes towards planning and governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK government's introduction of Regional Developement Agencies (RDAs) takes a previous 1940s idea to tackle regeneration in run down areas of England, which was introduced by a coalition government. The original concept was to encourage only suitable industries to areas where there was sufficient skilled labour and resources. Labour's intention is to include greenfield housing developments under the control of RDAs, which could produce an eventual profit of 15 billion pounds sterling in land sales to cope with the need for housing developments.

UK regional road planners are failing to exert greater influence over road planning decisions, despite receiving backing from the previous Conservative government. The newly elected Labour government is expected to increase the input from local government in policy making where trunk roads are concerned. Road planning policy has to be a combined effort between a need to preserve the environment while providing more suitable roads. Road planners are waiting to see how the newly appointed Secretary of State John Prescott deals with issue surrounding road policy.