Research
Under Section 549(2) of the Planning and Development Act 2024, the OPR has a statutory remit to conduct research. In 2019 the OPR established the National Planning Knowledge Group (NPKG) comprising representatives from planning authorities, higher education institutes, NGOs, planning institutes, government organisations and departments.
The OPR also undertook extensive consultation with key stakeholders including local authority staff and elected members. Input from the NPKG and feedback from our key stakeholders formed the basis for the OPR’s Planning Research Framework and associated Strategic Planning Research Programme.
The key goal of the framework is “to develop an effective research programme that addresses the gaps in planning theory and practice, supports best practice in the planning system, facilitates greater public understanding and participation, and develops necessary tools and applications for practitioners and researchers”.
The OPR is now on its third Strategic Planning Research Programme, this sets out the work programme for 2026-2028. The OPR’s first research programme was prepared to cover the period 2020-2022 and the second informed the OPR’s research for 2023-2025.
All of the research work is structured under the three strands identified in the framework:
- Planning Issues;
- Planning Performance; and
- Planning Practice.
The output delivered under each theme is set out below.
