Conclusions. Enduring and Emerging Challenges in Spatial Planning

Planning issues today concern both traditional problems—for example, land-use externalities, affordable housing, traffic pollution and congestion, infrastructure strain and management, spatial segregation, neighbourhood revitalisation, heritage preservation, urban sprawl—and new challenging ones—for example, pandemic risks, and extreme climate events. This chapter discusses the future of planning with reference to both traditional and emerging challenges. In this regard, it also critically examines the potential role of new tools such as AI devices and digital twins.