Retail Development and Planning Policy Change in Denmark

The overall conclusion of the analysis presented here is that in most cases the planning authorities are fully able to control the localisation of retail shops ? if they want to. However, they are not able to control the development of the retail structure in broader sense. First, the planning system and regulation is only one of four main factors that determine the retail structure. Second, (local) authorities are competing with each other for large new retail developments in the same way that retail companies compete for customers and the best shop positions. The results of this parallel competition are planning regulations that are formulated in vague and elastic ways, and which allow retail developments to be established by bending the planning regulations.