UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER Sustainable Development and Greenspace in Housebuilding: Rules Roles and Responsibilities A Thesis Submitted to the University of Manchester for a Doctorate of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities, School of Environment and Development Abigail Gilbert 10/1/2014 1 Contents 1. Introduction ..............................................................................................................................................................10 1.1 Problem Definition: Reconciling Environment and Housing ............................................................10 1.2 Aims and Objectives ............................................................................................................................................13 1.3 Context of Research.............................................................................................................................................14 1.3.1 Conceptualising Greenspace ...................................................................................................................14 1.3.2 Research Approach: Understanding Development Institutions .............................................15 1.4 Evaluating Policy Approaches ........................................................................................................................16 1.4.1 Market Self-Regulation ..............................................................................................................................17 1.4.2 Spatial Planning and Regionalism ........................................................................................................18 1.4.3 Localism and Austerity Planning ..........................................................................................................20 1.5 Contribution to Knowledge..............................................................................................................................21 2. Literature Review ........................................................................................................................................................22 2.1. Planning for Ecosystem Services..................................................................................................................23 2.1.1 Cultural Services...........................................................................................................................................24 2.1.2 Provisioning Services .................................................................................................................................26 2.1.3 Supportive and Regulatory Services ...................................................................................................28 2.1.4 Policy Instruments and Greenspace Design....................................................................................30 2.1.5 A Short History of Environmental Policy and Greenspace ........................................................32 2.2.4 Conclusions.....................................................................................................................................................37 2.2 Policies for SD ........................................................................................................................................................38 2.2.1 Spatial Planning, Regionalism and SD ................................................................................................38 2.2.2 Localism, Deregulation and SD ..............................................................................................................48 2.3 Speculative Developers and Market Self- Regulation...........................................................................58 2.3.1 Introducing the Speculative Development Industry ....................................................................58 2.3.2 CSR......................................................................................................................................................................62 2.4 Framing the Research Question.....................................................................................................................65 2.5 Understanding Institutions in Development Studies ...........................................................................68 2.5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................68 2.5.2 Structuration..................................................................................................................................................70 2.5.3 Innovation in Institutionalism ...............................................................................................................73 2.5.4 Strategic Relational Institutionalism (SRI).......................................................................................75 2.5.5 Political Economy of Institutionalism (PEI).....................................................................................77 2.5.6 An Institutional Account of SD ...............................................................................................................79 2.5.7 Conclusions.....................................................................................................................................................84 2 3. Methods............................................................................................................................................................................85 3.1 Introduction and Overview..............................................................................................................................85 3.2 Analytical Approach ............................................................................................................................................88 3.3.1 Objective 1 ......................................................................................................................................................90 3.3.2 Objective 2 ......................................................................................................................................................90 3.3.3 Objective 3 ......................................................................................................................................................93 3.3.4 Objective 4 ......................................................................................................................................................99 3.5 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................................................99 4. Volume House-builder Strategies for SD and Greenspace...................................................................... 101 4.1 Sustainability Narratives in Corporate Social Responsibility........................................................ 103 4.1.5 Changes in Sustainability Interpretation and Approaches over Time ................................... 116 4.1.6 Conclusions from 4.1 ............................................................................................................................... 118 4.2.1 Reporting Strategy ................................................................................................................................... 119 4.2.2 Drivers of Environmental Strategy and Approach ..................................................................... 122 4.2.3 Assertions of Responsibility................................................................................................................. 131 4.2. Conclusions ......................................................................................................................................................... 136 5. The Garden Village: Woodford............................................................................................................................ 137 5.1 Introduction......................................................................................................................................................... 137 5.2 Site Development Context ............................................................................................................................. 137 5.2.1 Principles of Supplementary Planning Documents ................................................................... 137 5.2.3 Judicial Review........................................................................................................................................... 140 5.3 Greenspace and Sustainability .................................................................................................................... 149 5.3.1. Openness as Scale .................................................................................................................................... 149 5.3.2 The Politics of ‘Garden Village’............................................................................................................ 153 5.4 Responsibilities for SD Outcomes ......................................................................................................... 154 5.4.1 Neighbourhood Planning ...................................................................................................................... 155 5.4.2 Imagining Alternatives: The Role of Imported Standards .....................................................