Religion, neoliberalism, planning: an analysis of Northern Ireland’s ‘superchurch’

Abstract

This article adds to and develops extant work on the comparatively under-explored but important link between religion, neoliberalism, and planning. It is noticeable that mega/giga-churches are recalibrating the religious and physical landscapes of cities around the world; in so doing they raise important implications for professional planners. We focus on Green Pastures Church in Northern Ireland. The church has initiated a significant urban development project that represents something much more than just another new church; indeed, it has been described as a 'superchurch'. The main body of this article focuses on the three separate plans submitted to the local authority, and the attendant contentious local planning issues. Existing research exposes the problematic impact of planning decisions on religious sites for certain religious communities. Our contribution to knowledge reveals new insights concerning the more positive and supportive relationship between planning and religion. We end this article by offering insights into broader debates on the public presence of religion and how it is regulated in the contemporary city.

A Quantitative Study of Places of Worship in Windhoek, Namibia

“…Theoretical Framework. This study is built on the Religious Neoliberal Theory [14] that Khiba and Ntlhe [15] applied to the Namibian situation. In this context, religious neoliberalism is a model for managing religious groups, and in the model, God and region are commodified and commercialized.…”