This book investigates the transformation of the United Kingdom's planning system during the tenure of the New Labour government and evaluates the resulting implications for future national policy. Philip Allmendinger, a scholar in land management and planning, utilizes a combination of policy analysis and historical review to examine the shift from the preceding New Right ideologies to the New Labour framework. The text provides a systematic critique of how planning was integrated into broader urban and economic strategies during this period.

Experts recognize this work as a detailed examination of the structural changes within the UK planning system during the late 1990s and 2000s. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, making it a useful resource for students and practitioners of public policy and urban development.