Abstract

The effectiveness of planning has been studied for decades and has recently been questioned by the «post-political» interpretation of planning, which stresses on its depoliticization following the widespread success of the neo-liberal paradigm. This paper offers an original perspective in focusing on the effectiveness of the municipal land-use plan, by analysing the opinions of municipal officers in Lombardy. To their eyes, the plan appears to be relevant in setting the development strategies of the territory. However, it is subject to continuous remoulding during its own implementation and, overall, it is not considered an effective instrument by most decision-makers.