Application of Plan - Process - Results (PPR) method in urban plans evaluation

 
Introduction
So far, many evaluation methodologies for assessing urban plans have been introduced, but comprehensive and systematic evaluation methodologies up to now have received little attention. In recent years the Plan - Process - Results (PPR) approach as a comprehensive and systematic evaluation methodology based on the Policy- Plan/Programme-Implementation-Process(PPIP) methodology has been used in the assessment of urban plans. The PPIP model criteria - conformity, rational process, optimality ex-ante, optimality ex-post and utilisation – in planning the subsequent questions of policy, plan or programme, or the planning process under study and its results are considered. Despite the influence of PPIP model in the planning literature, from the early 1990s to the best of our knowledge PPIP has not been used in real case studies, or not reported but PPR methodology since the two cities, Lisbon and Porto are applied.
 In this study we outline the key elements of Plan - Process - Results (PPR) methodology, including criteria, sub-criteria and evaluation techniques/data sources introduced and its application in evaluation of urban plans using this methodology in ex-ante evaluation of Abshar (2) land development plan in Mashhad describes.
Methodology
Plan - Process - Results (PPR) methodology was developed in 2009 by Oliveira and Pinho for comprehensive evaluation of urban plans that will take into consideration all dimensions of urban plans with greater emphasis on the physical dimension and it used in ex-ante, ongoing ,ex-pose evaluation of urban development plan. This methodology exploit the positive aspects and fixes some weaknesses in the ex-ante evaluation methods, to scrutinize criteria of the Policy- Plan/Programme-Implementation-Process (PPIP) methodology.
In this study PPR methodology  used in the ex-ante evaluation of Abshar (2) land development plan in Mashhad by utilizes a number of criteria that relate to the ex-ante dimension of Plan described.
 
Results
Overall, the specific criteria on which the Abshar (2) land development  plan attains the highest scores are the internal coherence  and interpretation of planning system (see Table 5). The specific criteria on which the plan attains the Lowest scores are the participation in plan making.
 
 
 
 
 
Table 5. Abshar (2) land development plan: Evaluation results





Evaluation techniques /data sources


Score


Sub-criteria


Criteria




Reading of the plan
 
Impact matrices


A

 

Relationships between the objectives and the land uses of the plan


Internal coherence



 

Relationships between the objectives and the urban systems of the plan



 

Relationships between the objectives and the plan implementation mechanisms




Reading of the different versions of the plan and its regulation


A

 

Interpretation in terms of form


Interpretation of planning system



 

Interpretation in terms of substance




Reading of the plan
SWOT analysis
Impact matrices
Reading of the newspapers


B

 

Relationships between the needs of the city and the objectives of the plan


Relevance



 

Relationships between the needs of the city and  the land uses and  urban systems



 

Relationships between the needs of the city and the plan implementation mechanisms




Reading of the plan and of other plans for that territory
 


B

 

Relationships in terms of objectives


ٍExternal coherence



 

Relationships in terms of territorial



 

Relationships in terms of implementation




Reading of the plan
Interviews


C

 

Quantity of participants


Participation in plan making



 

Quality of  participants



 

Promotion of public participation by the local authority




Reading of the different versions of the plan (during the period of its preparation)
Interviews


 
B

 

Influence of the political power in the plan, as well as in other planning products, processes and structures


Plan utilisation



 

Influence of the plan and of the planning practice in the political power




Reading of the plan
Interviews


B

 

Evolution of the availability of resources


Commitment of resources



 

Type of resources  available



 

Relationships between planning performance  and utilization of resources





 
 
Conclusions
This study aims to demonstrate that despite the difficulties and the complexity of the evaluation of planning action it is possible to evaluate urban plan practice in a comprehensive and systematic way. In this paper Plan - Process - Results (PPR) methodology and its application in the ex-ante evaluation of Abshar (2) land development plan in Mashhad was raised. Overall, the results indicate that a greater emphasis on the physical dimension and providing more of the criteria and data sources this methodology differs from other methodologies and makes fertile ground for managers and urban planners to provide to a more favourable evaluation of the planning and implementation of urban plans are made​​.Moreover, the selection of general and specific criteria, the corresponding evaluation questions, the assessment techniques, and data source indicated comprehensive character of PPR.
The limitation of this methodology also requires access to vast sources of data are. Application of the PPR methodology provided not only a sound and substantiated  judgment on the case study under evaluation but also provided the basis for identifying a number of singular and important features in planning practice of Abshar (2) land development plan.
 Overall, according to the characteristics and framework of urban planning systeme in Iran of greater emphasis on physical dimension rather than other dimensions of economic, social, environmental, so this methodology is more consistent with the country's urbanism system and can be applied as a comprehensive and systematic evaluation method in assessting planning and implementing urban plans in Iran. Finally the main challenge of evaluation can be described as a dilemma that planning is faced with uncertainty and evaluator must at the same time be able to judge plan, process and their results.