Adjusting planning frameworks to meet changing needs in post colonial countries: The example of Belize

This paper examines the events that affected the development of planning as an institution in Belize. Initially, an overview of the shifts in planning frameworks that have accompanied each recent change of government is presented. This is followed by an analysis of land development issues in the Belize City Region that have accompanied the recent emergence of the private land market and the decision to release a considerable number of government lots within a very short period of time. The implications of these events for planning are then assessed with respect to a set of criteria adapted from an analytic framework proposed by William Doebele. Conclusions are offered concerning the development of institutional capacity to support land-use planning, appropriate land-use controls, deregulation and professional responsibility.