John- Thanks for sharing these. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on rural Scotland community's general understanding on development? Is planning or 'rural planning' considered welcomed in Scotland's rural communities? Curious because I've always been interested in rural, suburban, and urban planning. :)
Hi Talia, and thank you for your interest. Rural communities in Scotland, in common with many other places, face real issues in sustaining a thriving way of life. Some degree of planning is seen as a necessity so long as it is based on real community participation, recognizes local needs and is of an appropriate scale. There are issues about access to housing, digital connectivity, good quality education and local employment opportunities so that young people do not have to move away, and of 'over-tourism' hampering local activities and damaging the environment. That said, there are good examples of local projects which are successfully tackling these issues, and the Scottish government is keen to support rural economies. There are also some impressive community buy outs of land and buildings which are being developed to capitalize on local assets to create new opportunities. So community-based and place-based planning is welcome, 'top-down' planning not so much.
John- Thanks for sharing these. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on rural Scotland community's general understanding on development? Is planning or 'rural planning' considered welcomed in Scotland's rural communities? Curious because I've always been interested in rural, suburban, and urban planning. :)
Hi Talia, and thank you for your interest. Rural communities in Scotland, in common with many other places, face real issues in sustaining a thriving way of life. Some degree of planning is seen as a necessity so long as it is based on real community participation, recognizes local needs and is of an appropriate scale. There are issues about access to housing, digital connectivity, good quality education and local employment opportunities so that young people do not have to move away, and of 'over-tourism' hampering local activities and damaging the environment. That said, there are good examples of local projects which are successfully tackling these issues, and the Scottish government is keen to support rural economies. There are also some impressive community buy outs of land and buildings which are being developed to capitalize on local assets to create new opportunities. So community-based and place-based planning is welcome, 'top-down' planning not so much.