Religion, neoliberalism, planning : an analysis of ‘Northern Ireland’s ‘superchurch’

Boland, Philip, McKay, Stephen, Sturm, Tristan and Gale, Richard ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5027-8102 2021. Religion, neoliberalism, planning : an analysis of ‘Northern Ireland’s ‘superchurch’. Religion, State and Society 49 (1) , pp. 61-79. 10.1080/09637494.2021.1909448

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Abstract

This article adds to and develops extant work on the comparatively under-explored but important link between religion, neoliberalism, and planning. It is noticeable that mega/giga-churches are recalibrating the religious and physical landscapes of cities around the world; in so doing they raise important implications for professional planners. We focus on Green Pastures Church in Northern Ireland. The church has initiated a significant urban development project that represents something much more than just another new church; indeed, it has been described as a ‘superchurch’. The main body of this article focuses on the three separate plans submitted to the local authority, and the attendant contentious local planning issues. Existing research exposes the problematic impact of planning decisions on religious sites for certain religious communities. Our contribution to knowledge reveals new insights concerning the more positive and supportive relationship between planning and religion. We end this article by offering insights into broader debates on the public presence of religion and how it is regulated in the contemporary city.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Geography and Planning (GEOPL)
Additional Information:	This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/),
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis (Routledge): SSH Titles
ISSN:	0963-7494
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	25 January 2022
Date of Acceptance:	23 March 2021
Last Modified:	06 May 2023 20:39
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/146813

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