Towards integrated development planning in Sudan : the relationship between physical and economic planning

Abstract EN

The centralist policy approach adopted in Sudan has a profound influence on development planning.

As such development, since independence, has conce-ntrated in few towns leaving the rest of the country undeveloped.

The study has illustrated the failure of development policy based on pure economic goals to spread development to the rural areas.

It reaches a conclusion that the answer to the research problem is to move away from the centralist policy approach and to adopt an alternative broad based comprehensive development policy.

This paper has demonstrated the main problem as being the inadequacy of the prevailing centrally based planning.

Lacking inclusive framework plan-ing proved inadequate for responding to the changing multi-purpose develop-ment needs of the society today.

As the need for a new planning is established, recommendation focuses on the reform measures that should be taken in order to transform planning into an integrated system through introducing regional planning.

Regional planning acts as a link integrating physical planning and economic policy as planners recommend, within a comprehensive form of national development planning.