The hidden factor in planning and local politics in Italy: The case of Tuscany

Italian literature on plan-making has been unable to explain why updated regional legislation and new-style master plans have not always speeded up the plan-making process. Indeed, using data from Tuscany, at both regional and provincial levels, confirms that the speeding up has not been generally achieved. This paper offers an interpretation that is based on the analysis of the features and power relationships that characterise local politics. These findings are based on quantitative and qualitative research that includes analysis of statistics drawn from regional databases on the plan-making process, interviews with local politicians and planning officers and an assessment of relevant press coverage in national and regional newspapers.