Ethical principles in an increasingly diverse planning profession: the potential impact of different types of planners

Much of what planners do remains hidden - particularly, we believe, the work of planners in the private sector who work for private-sector clients, for example developers, but who nevertheless consider it possible to behave ethically in a setting where profit is also an inherent driver. How do these 39 per cent of planners in the UK try and work towards conceptions such as the public interest? Is that an accepted part of their company values? How do they strike a balance between the ethical requirements of their profession and the demands of their clients? What factors contribute to their decision making? We know that a range of 'obligations' affect how people, and therefore planners, decide what to do - including their family, their identity, their workplace and their education. In order to cast light on such obligations, we are embarking on research to better understand the interactions between these, and other, drivers of planners' behavior and to seek lo address the 'limited understanding of the nexus of professional figures currently active in planning' .