Coastal planning practices

Many coastal regions and municipalities in Norway have put significant effort into planning the coastal zone, and many spatial plans have either been newly developed or revised. However, the status for both the current work and the quality of the spatial plans vary considerably. Many plans are outdated, and the revision process is slow and time consuming, causing the plans not to be in accordance with the current needs of the different interests in the coastal zone. This leads to development through dispensations from the current spatial plans and individual decisions, rather than through a holistic and forward thinking strategy.

In order to ensure a more holistic development of the coastal zone, there is a need for both better and more effective planning processes.

By drawing on the project groups’ experience with evaluating various aspects of planning in the coastal zone, we aim to map and identify criteria that affects the duration and quality of coastal zone planning processes.