Institutional transplantation and small states

The Long and Winding Road to Spatial Planning in Surinam

The independent state of Surinam has inherited its system of spatial planning from the former Dutch colonial power the Netherlands. Explorative research undertaken by Merel van Boxtel (2010) has revealed the historical foundations of the Surinamese planning system. These foundations have been evaluated with the help of criteria deduced from a theories institutional transplantation and performance of small states. The current system is overtly defective. Major handicaps are: absence of results and impact, conflicts between ministries, lack of powers, lack of competent employees, defective statutory foundations, lack of transparency etc. Van Boxtel draws the conclusion that Suriname is in need of an improved system of spatial planning tailor made for the situation. So far the Surinamese government and its consultants have ignored relevant exemplars and best practices except Dutch ones. It makes sense to study planning systems of other relatively isolated countries with small populations and comparable socio-economic characteristics and carefully consider opportunities and obstacles for institutional transplantation. A pivotal question in this approach goes: does it fit in the Surinamese socio-economic and political constellation?   

Spatial Planning on the Islands of the Netherlands Antilles

The Islands of the Netherlands Antilles have inherited a system of spatial planning which is modelled on the Dutch system of spatial planning. Judging from the results of the spatial (dis)order on most of the islands, the system shows many flaws. Now some of the islands will be municipalities implying application of Dutch rules and regulations. Other islands will develop their own autonomous systems of government and governance. This development opens up an opportunity to study the evolution of planning practices and institutions which stem from the Dutch juridical model. The transformation of diverging systems on the islands brings up lots of questions about the transfer-ability of Dutch planning institutions, the socio-economic constraints under which these institutions will me successful, the strengths and weaknesses of the system of local planning and the need for adaptations for the sake of “goodness of fit” with local cultures.

Theories of institutional transplantation (De Jong, Lalenis and Mamadouh, 2002) and small states (Clarke and Payne, 1987) may provide building blocks for a conceptual framework.  

Contact: arnold.vandervalk@wur.nl