Simple planning rules for complex urban problems: towards legal certainty for spatial flexibility

In the course of the nineteenth century, many countries attempted to simplify their regulatory systems; since then, however, the entire legal apparatus has become ever more complex, being based on the (debatable) notion that law must mirror the growing complexity of society. Owing to this presumption, complex land-use and building issues have rapidly generated a host of equally intricate rules. However, some critics have argued that complex systems require exactly the opposite treatment, that is, simple rather than complex legal rules. This article explores the concept of simple rules for urban development, investigating what they are, why they are superior, and how they can be achieved.