Decolonising planning perspectives in south-east Wales

Melhuish, Clare and Davis, Juliet ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2056-5792 2026. Decolonising planning perspectives in south-east Wales. Presented at: 21st International Planning History Society Conference, Atlanta, GA, USA, 17-23 July 2026.

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Abstract

In this paper we start by critically engaging with colonial histories of planning and development in relation to relevant scholarship, highlighting the need to implement an explicitly decolonial approach to planning histories ‘at home’ in the UK as well as abroad. We emphasise the common theme of extractivist capitalism linking colonial planning models with two Welsh place histories drawn from the South Wales towns and cities from which coal reserves were exploited for export across the British empire. The two-way flows of materials and migration which underpinned the infrastructure of the British empire also shaped patterns of settlement, community, disadvantage and exclusion across south Wales. Drawing on five key strategies towards a decolonial critique of planning histories and contemporary regeneration approaches, which we identified in our recent paper Decolonising Planning Perspectives, we discuss how these legacies continue to shape inequalities and exclusions today in our two contrasting case studies. These include the application of decolonial methodologies, including interdisciplinary perspectives; the interrogation of circulating planning models between interconnected sites; recognition of the value of indigenous knowledge systems in contemporary decolonised planning processes; investigation of material histories; and critical approaches to the teaching of planning histories in universities. The paper draws on some examples of how these approaches have been implemented, such as Community Gateway’s work on community led place-plan developments, and our own Engaging with Economic Wellbeing pilot study for Cardiff Capital Region development authority, to elucidate our discussion of our selected case studies.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item - unpublished
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Architecture
Last Modified:	15 Sep 2026 11:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/189577

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