Spatial Planning as a Design Discipline: A Paradigm for Western Europe?

10.1068/b2633 ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barrie Needham

There is an implicit paradigm in the theory of spatial planning, which we call “spatial planning as a design discipline”. It is implicit in much of planning theory, and the exposition here is in many respects an ordering of ideas from planning theory which have been in circulation for many years. I will make them explicit and relate them to each other in order to lay bare the underlying assumptions, to help planning education, and to improve the relationship between theory and practice. Such an ordering of existing ideas inevitably looks backwards, so I will also investigate how the paradigm presented here relates to some recent innovations in planning theory. Because many of the ideas have been in good currency for a long time, it is probable that they have had a strong influence on planning practice in much of Western Europe: there is not just a paradigm shared by academics but also a discourse shared by academics and practitioners.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Alton

Planning does not see itself as a caring profession, yet there are elements of care that underlie the relationship between planners and the public. Therapeutic planning is an emerging approach to planning that has shown promise at building on those elements of care and reimagining planning as healing and transformative for planners and the public. However, therapeutic planning has so far only been used as a specialized practice when planning with indigenous communities. Through an analysis of the literature on planning theory and therapeutic planning practice, this study seeks to build a case for a broader application of therapeutic planning. Key findings of this analysis show that therapeutic planning has the capacity to improve planners’ ability to address trauma, conflict and reconciliation. This ends with a concrete set of recommendations to guide the profession in embracing its potential for care. Key words: An article on urban planning theory and practice, used the key words: therapeutic; planning; caring; communication; profession.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Alton

Planning does not see itself as a caring profession, yet there are elements of care that underlie the relationship between planners and the public. Therapeutic planning is an emerging approach to planning that has shown promise at building on those elements of care and reimagining planning as healing and transformative for planners and the public. However, therapeutic planning has so far only been used as a specialized practice when planning with indigenous communities. Through an analysis of the literature on planning theory and therapeutic planning practice, this study seeks to build a case for a broader application of therapeutic planning. Key findings of this analysis show that therapeutic planning has the capacity to improve planners’ ability to address trauma, conflict and reconciliation. This ends with a concrete set of recommendations to guide the profession in embracing its potential for care. Key words: An article on urban planning theory and practice, used the key words: therapeutic; planning; caring; communication; profession.


1983 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 469-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Jensen-Butler

Analysis of the practice of planning is increasingly being used to develop planning theory, The papers by Roweis and Forester in the second issue of Environment and Planning D: Society and Space base analysis of planning practice on hermeneutic, linguistic, and phenomenological approaches, as an alternative to the technical -rational approach to planning theory, In the present paper, I argue that the approaches adopted by these two authors create more problems than they solve, and a critique of Roweis's and Forester's theoretical ideas is made, It is argued that these approaches rest upon idealist ontological assumptions, rendering explanation of qualitative change (development) impossible. Discussion of Giddens's concept of structuration and of the negative consequences for scientific explanation of Habermas's epistemological position is presented, as both approaches are used by Roweis and Forester. Criticism is also made of the separation of territorial relations from relations of substance. Finally, the serious consequences of their approaches for scientific and social practice are outlined. I conclude that this type of approach cannot provide a satisfactory basis for planning theory, and furthermore, that the approach is inherently conservative. Some ideas arc presented concerning planning theory based on materialist ontological foundations.


2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (7) ◽  
pp. 1535-1541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Kidd ◽  
Dave Shaw

Abstract This paper highlights the value for marine spatial planning (MSP) of engaging with terrestrial planning theory and practice. It argues that the traditions of reflection, critique, and debate that are a feature of land-based planning can inform the development of richer theoretical underpinnings of MSP as well as MSP practice. The case is illustrated by tempering the view that MSP can be a rational planning process that can follow universal principles and steps by presenting an alternative perspective that sees MSP as a social and political process that is highly differentiated and place-specific. This perspective is discussed with reference to four examples. First, the paper considers why history, culture, and administrative context lead to significant differences in how planning systems are organized. Second, it highlights that planning systems and processes tend to be in constant flux as they respond to changing social and political viewpoints. Third, it discusses why the integration ambitions which are central to “spatial” planning require detailed engagement with locally specific social and political circumstances. Fourth, it focuses on the political and social nature of plan implementation and how different implementation contexts need to inform the design of planning processes and the style of plans produced.


2013 ◽  
Vol 83 ◽  
pp. 1-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.J. Scott ◽  
C. Carter ◽  
M.R. Reed ◽  
P. Larkham ◽  
D. Adams ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest R. Alexander

Planning theory is hardly relevant for E-Planning, because generic “planning” does not exist for practical purposes, except as distinct planning practices. E-Planning is such a practice, with implications for E-Planning theory, education and practice. Defining planning as “what planners do” makes planning a socially recognized practice; for such practices “planning” always has a qualifyer: urban-, environmental- or strategic planning. Meaningful discussion of planning demands contingent referents not abstract generalizations. Diverse planning practices are identifyable on several dimensions: sector, level or domain, and country. With various actors and blends of usable knowledge, planning practices contribute expertise to the co-construction of knowledge. The case for E-Planning follows the prototype of spatial planning, including tools: knowledge that E-planners contribute; practice: the E-Planner's role and social purpose; and context: E-planners' workplaces and their institutional environment. Evidence of institutionalization (including the IJEPR) confirms that E-Planning is a real planning practice, with E-Planning theory in development and awaiting integration.


Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 868
Author(s):  
Tariq Modood ◽  
Thomas Sealy

The classical liberal concern for freedom of religion today intersects with concerns of equality and respect for minorities, of what might be loosely termed ‘multiculturalism’. When these minorities were primarily understood in terms of ethno-racial identities, multiculturalism and freedom of religion were seen at that time as quite separate policy and legal fields. As ethno-religious identities have become central to multiculturalism (and to rejections of multiculturalism), specifically in Western Europe in relation to its growing Muslim settlements, not only have the two fields intersected, new approaches to religion and equality have emerged. We consider the relationship between freedom of religion and ethno-religious equality, or alternatively, religion as faith or conscience and religion as group identity. We argue that the normative challenges raised by multicultural equality and integration cannot be met by individualist understandings of religion and freedom, by the idea of state neutrality, nor by laicist understandings of citizenship and equality. Hence, a re-thinking of the place of religion in public life and of religion as a public good and a re-configuring of political secularism in the context of religious diversity is necessary. We explore a number of pro-diversity approaches that suggest what a respectful and inclusive egalitarian governance of religious diversity might look like, and consider what might be usefully learnt from other countries, as Europe struggles with a deeper diversity than it has known for a long time. The moderate secularism that has historically evolved in Western Europe is potentially accommodative of religious diversity, just as it came to be of Christian churches, but it has to be ‘multiculturalised’.


Author(s):  
Ahmed O. El-Kholei

Presently, cities of the Arab world are experiencing many urban ills.  Some are physical, such as environmental degradation, housing problems, unemployment, urban infrastructure-related issues, congested roads; while others are more subjective such as loss of identity. Transformation in the capitalist system and social structures, the inadequate understanding of planning practice and theory, in addition to design education, are to blame for these issues. Currently, in many Arab countries, planning education is still limited to the realm of architectural education, where it is restricted to city form, land use, and design requirements, while little attention is paid to the social, political, institutional, and economic realities of cities that serve as driving forces behind these changes. This paper tries to trace the development of the capitalist system and its corresponding societal transformations and their implications for cities in the Arab region. Subsequently, it reviews the development of planning theory and practice in the developed world and its implication for Arab cities. It attempts to shed light on the reasons behind these transformations and to explore the driving forces of the current state of the Arabian city including, capitalism, class, culture, and communication. Subsequently, it investigates challenges and explores opportunities, and elaborates on possible corrective scenarios to recommend three actions regarding the fields of planning theory research, practice, and education.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 8450
Author(s):  
Paulo Silva

This paper addresses the challenges faced by planning and design education programmes when focusing on more sustainable ways of dealing with global changes. While the dominant discourse addresses the fact that planning programmes discuss the Global South through the lens of planning theory and practice from the Global North, the proposal is to shift the debate and recognise that, from a complexity perspective, planning problems are not so different from region to region. The argument is that, although the theory has moved on, when discussing conceptual aspects of planning, spatial planning practice is still focused on objects rather than the relationship between them (be they buildings, streets, neighbourhoods or even cities). Assuming that urban territories are not objects and do not develop in a linear way, but rather evolve, the proposal is to reflect on how planning and design education addresses urban evolution. This paper suggests a revision of planning and design approaches to informality, given the participation in recent years of a joint studio in Bandung, Indonesia. The alternative perspective offered here involves a re-examination of concepts and deconstruction of dichotomies. The main findings rely on the interpretation of formalisation processes (in the Global North) through the lens of complexity theory, which has facilitated understanding of today’s informal settlements (in the Global South). It suggests the deconstruction of dichotomies, such as informal versus formal, thus, positing the need for a major shift on planning and design rules that focus less on objects and more on the relationship between them.


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