Planning in uncharted waters: spatial transformations, planning transitions and role-reflexive planning

Christian Lamker

doi:10.2478/rara-2019-0012

Authors

Christian Lamker Technische Universität Dortmund, Fachgebiet Raumordnung und PlanungstheorieDortmund, Deutschland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2478/rara-2019-0012

Keywords:

Role of planners, role reflection, role-based approach

Abstract

For planners, processes of complex spatial transformations today are comparable to uncharted land and an uncertain voyage. Many possible role images overlap and contrast to traditional and established ways of thinking and acting. The focus here is on navigating instead of controlling, about supporting instead of enforcing. Planning lacks tools to think and act when facing uncertainty. This paper proposes role-reflexive planning as an educational and experimental approach to thinking through different potentialities. It offers groundwork from the boundary between planning and transition studies, using role-based ideas as a bridge. It offers an overview about different roles that are relevant to working towards transformations as spatial planners. It develops an account of role-reflexive planning that connects between contexts, actions and back to individual modes of behaviour in planning processes. As a basis, this paper condenses experiences of a role-playing pilot workshop and discussions about potential elements of a transition towards 'post-growth planning'. It outlines how role-playing challenges the individual roles of actors beyond the game situations themselves. Conceptual ideas foster a renewed role-based debate on thinking and acting in the face of uncertainty and ways to navigate through the stormy waters of transformation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abbott, J. (2005): Understanding and Managing the Unknown: The Nature of Uncertainty in Planning. In: Journal of Planning Education and Research 24, 3, 237-251. doi: 10.1177/0739456X04267710

Aßmann, K.; Bader, M.; Shipwright, F.; Talevi, R. (Hrsg.) (2017): Explorations in Urban Practice. Barcelona.

Barnett, C.; Parnell, S. (2016): Ideas, implementation and indicators. Epistemologies of the post-2015 urban agenda. In: Environment and Urbanization 28, 1, 87-98. doi: 10.1177/0956247815621473

Barrett, F.J. (2012): Yes to the Mess: Surprising Leadership Lessons from Jazz. Boston.

Bisschops, S.; Beunen, R. (2018): A new role for citizens' initiatives. The difficulties in co-creating institutional change in urban planning. In: Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. doi: 10.1080/09640568.2018.1436532

Bulkeley, H.; Coenen, L.; Frantzeskaki, N.; Hartmann, C.; Kronsell, A.; Mai, L.; Marvin, S.; McCormick, K.; van Steenbergen, F.; Voytenko Palgan, Y. (2016): Urban living labs: governing urban sustainability transitions. In: Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 22, 13-17. doi: 10.1016/j.cosust.2017.02.003

Christensen, K.S. (1985): Coping with Uncertainty in Planning. In: Journal of the American Planning Association 51, 1, 63-73. doi: 10.1080/01944368508976801

de Leo, D.; Forester, J. (2017): Reimagining planning. Moving from reflective practice to deliberative practice – a first exploration in the Italian context. In: Planning Theory and Practice 18, 2, 202-216. doi: 10.1080/14649357.2017.1284254

de Roo, G. (2018): Ordering Principles in a Dynamic World of Change – On social complexity, transformation and the conditions for balancing purposeful interventions and spontaneous change. In: Progress in Planning 125, 1-32. doi: 10.1016/j.progress.2017.04.002

Dell, C. (2011): ReplayCity. Improvisation als urbane Praxis. Berlin.

Dell, C. (2014): Die improvisierende Organisation. Bielefeld.

Dell, C. (2017): Organisation musikalisch denken. In: Stark, W.; Vossebrecher, D.; Dell, C.; Schmidhuber, H. (Hrsg.): Improvisation und Organisation. Muster zur Innovation sozialer Systeme. Bielefeld, 31-46.

Egermann, M.; Hutter, G. (2014): Perspektiven für die Annäherung der Raum- und Transitionforschung – am Beispiel des EU-Projekts ARTS. In: PND|online 3, 1-9.

Emirbayer, M.; Mische, A. (1998): What Is Agency? In: American Journal of Sociology 103, 4, 962-1023. doi: 10.1086/231294

Fox-Rogers, L.; Murphy, E. (2016): Self-perceptions of the role of the planner. In: Environment and Planning B 43,1, 74-92. 10.1177/0265813515603860

Friend, R.M.; Anwar, N.H.; Dixit, A.; Hutanuwatr, K.; Jayaraman, T.; McGregor, J.A.; Menon, M.R.; Moench, M.; Pelling, M.; Roberts, D. (2016): Re-imagining Inclusive Urban Futures for Transformation. In: Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 20, 67-72. doi: 10.1016/j.cosust.2016.06.001

Fürst, D. (2016): Denkfallen bei planerischen Abwägungs- und Bewertungsverfahren – Erkenntnisse aus den Kognitionswissenschaften. In: Othengrafen, F.; Schmidt-Lauber, B.; Hannemann, C.; Pohlan, J.; Roost, F. (Hrsg.): Jahrbuch StadtRegion 2015/2016. Schwerpunkt: Planbarkeiten. Opladen, 43-59.

Geels, F.W.; Schot, J. (2007): Typology of sociotechnical transition pathways. In: Research Policy 36, 3, 399-417. doi: 10.1016/j.respol.2007.01.003

Gugerell, K.; Zuidema, C. (2017): Gaming for the energy transition. Experimenting and learning in co-designing a serious game prototype. In: Journal of Cleaner Production 169, 105-116. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.04.142

Healey, P.; Underwood, J. (1978): Professional ideals and planning practice. A report on research into planners' ideas in practice in London Borough planning departments. In: Progress in Planning 9, 2, 73-127. doi: 10.1016/0305-9006(78)90005-3

Helyer, R. (2015): Learning through reflection. The critical role of reflection in work-based learning (WBL). In: Journal of Work-Applied Management 7, 1, 15-27. doi: 10.1108/JWAM-10-2015-003

Hillier, J. (2010): Strategic Navigation in an Ocean of Theoretical and Practice Complexity. In: Hillier, J.; Healey, P. (Hrsg.): The Ashgate research companion to planning theory. Conceptual challenges for spatial planning. Farnham, 447-480.

Hölscher, K.; Wittmayer, J.M.; Loorbach, D. (2018): Transition versus transformation: What's the difference? In: Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions 27, 1-3. doi: 10.1016/j.eist.2017.10.007

Holub, B.; Hohenbüchler, C. (Hrsg.) (2014): Planning Unplanned. Darf Kunst eine Funktion haben? Towards a new function of art in society. Nürnberg.

Howe, J.; Langdon, C. (2002): Towards a Reflexive Planning Theory. In: Planning Theory 1, 3, 209-225. doi: 10.1177/147309520200100302

Hüther, G. (2004): Die Macht der inneren Bilder. Wie Visionen das Gehirn, den Menschen und die Welt verändern. Göttingen.

Hüther, G.; Quarch, C. (2016): Rettet das Spiel! Weil Leben mehr als Funktionieren ist. München.

Ibert, O. (2009): Von „der" Planung zu multiplen Planungen. Strategische Entscheidungen unter Bedingungen hoher Komplexität und geringer Umweltkontrolle. In: Geographica Helvetica 64, 2, 89-97. doi: 10.5194/gh-64-89-2009

Innes, J.E.; Booher, D.E. (1999): Consensus Building as Role Playing and Bricolage. Toward a Theory of Collaborative Planning. In: Journal of the American Planning Association 65, 1, 9-26. doi: 10.1080/01944369908976031

Kampelmann, S.; Kaethler, M.; Hill, A.V. (2018): Curating complexity: An artful approach for real-world system transitions. In: Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions 27, 59-71. doi: 10.1016/j.eist.2017.10.005

Kaplan, S.; Orlikowski, W.J. (2013): Temporal Work in Strategy Making. In: Organization Science 24, 4, 965-995. doi: 10.1287/orsc.1120.0792

Knieling, J.; Klindworth, K. (2018): The Self-Conception of German Planners as Pioneers for Sustainability Transition. In: Tasan-Kok, T.; Oranje, M. (Hrsg.): From Student to Urban Planner. Young Practitioners' Reflections on Contemporary Ethical Challenges. New York, 198-214.

Lamker, C.W. (2016): Unsicherheit und Komplexität in Planungsprozessen. Planungstheoretische Perspektiven auf Regionalplanung und Klimaanpassung. Lemgo. = Planungswissenschaftliche Studien zu Raumordnung und Regionalentwicklung 6.

Levin-Keitel, M.; Mölders, T.; Othengrafen, F.; Ibendorf, J. (2018): Sustainability Transitions and the Spatial Interface: Developing Conceptual Perspectives. In: Sustainability 10, 6, 1-15. doi: 10.3390/SU10061880

Lissandrello, E.; Grin, J. (2011): Reflexive Planning as Design and Work. Lessons from the Port of Amsterdam. In: Planning Theory and Practice 12, 2, 223-248. doi: 10.1080/14649357.2011.580156

Loepfe, M.; Eisinger, A. (2017): Assemblages for Urban Transformation. In: disP – The Planning Review 53, 1, 20-31. doi: 10.1080/02513625.2017.1316526

Loorbach, D.; Wittmayer, J.M.; Shiroyama, H.; Fujino, J.; Mizuguchi, S. (Hrsg.) (2016): Governance of Urban Sustainability Transitions. European and Asian Experiences. Tokyo. doi: 10.1007/978-4-431-55426-4

Luhmann, N. (1966): Reflexive Mechanismen. In: Soziale Welt 17, 1,1-23.

Luhmann, N. (1983): Legitimation durch Verfahren. Frankfurt am Main.

Luhmann, N. (1987): Soziale Systeme. Grundriß einer allgemeinen Theorie. Frankfurt am Main.

Luhmann, N. (1997): Die Gesellschaft der Gesellschaft. Band 1. Frankfurt am Main.

Olesen, K. (2018): Teaching planning theory as planner roles in urban planning education. In: Higher Education Pedagogies 3, 1, 302-318. doi: 10.1080/23752696.2018.1425098

Poplin, A. (2012): Playful public participation in urban planning: A case study for online serious games. In: Computers, Environment and Urban Systems 36, 3, 195-206. doi: 10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2011.10.003

Rabinovitz, F.F. (1969): City politics and planning. New York.

Rauws, W. (2017): Embracing Uncertainty Without Abandoning Planning. Exploring an Adaptive Planning Approach for Guiding Urban Transformations. In: disP – The Planning Review 53, 1, 32-45. doi: 10.1080/02513625.2017.1316539

Reinermann, J.-L.; Behr, F. (Hrsg.) (2017): Die Experimentalstadt. Kreativität und die kulturelle Dimension der Nachhaltigen Entwicklung. Wiesbaden. doi: 10.1007/978-3-658-14981-9

Rittel, H.W.J. (1972): On the Planning Crisis. Systems Analysis of the 'First and Second Generations'. In: Bedriftsøkonomen 8, 390-396.

Rumore, D.L. (2015): Role-play simulations: a tool for transformative civic education and engagement around science-intensive environmental issues. PhD Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Scholl, C.; Kemp, R. (2016): City Labs as Vehicles for Innovation in Urban Planning Processes. In: Urban Planning 1, 4, 89-102. doi: 10.17645/up.v1i4.749

Scholles, F. (2008): Planspiel. In: Fürst, D.; Scholles, F. (Hrsg.): Handbuch Theorien und Methoden der Raum- und Umweltplanung. Dortmund, 393-402.

Schön, D.A. (1983): The reflective practitioner. How professionals think in action. New York.

Schön, D.A.; Rein, M. (1994): Frame reflection. Toward the resolution of intractable policy controversies. New York.

Schrage, M. (1999): Serious play. How the world's best companies simulate to innovate. Boston.

Schulze Dieckhoff, V.; Lamker, C. (2017): Prozesse einer Postwachstumsplanung. https://www.postwachstum.de/prozesse-einer-postwachstumsplanung-20171026 (11.12.2018).

Steele, W. (2009): Australian Urban Planners. Hybrid Roles and Professional Dilemmas? In: Urban Policy and Research 27, 2, 189-203. doi: 10.1080/08111140902908873

van Assche, K.; Beunen, R.; Duineveld, M. (2017): Witchcraft, oracle, and magic in the kingdom of planning. A reflection on planning theory and practice inspired by Ernest Alexander. In: Planning Theory 16, 2, 223-226. doi: 10.1177/1473095216676747

WBGU – Wissenschaftlicher Beirat der Bundesregierung Globale Umweltveränderungen (2016): Der Umzug der Menschheit: Die transformative Kraft der Städte. Hauptgutachten. Berlin.

Weick, K.E. (1984): Small wins. Redefining the scale of social problems. In: American Psychologist 39, 1, 40-49. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.39.1.40

Wiechmann, T. (2008): Planung und Adaption. Strategieentwicklung in Regionen, Organisationen und Netzwerken. Dortmund.

Wiechmann, T.; Hutter, G. (2008): Die Planung des Unplanbaren. Was kann die Raumplanung von der Strategieforschung lernen? In: Hamedinger, A.; Frey, O.; Dangschat, J.S.; Breitfuss, A. (Hrsg.): Strategieorientierte Planung im kooperativen Staat. Wiesbaden, 102-121. doi: 10.1007/978-3-531-90804-5

Wittmayer, J.M.; Avelino, F.; van Steenbergen, F.; Loorbach, D. (2017): Actor roles in transition. Insights from sociological perspectives. In: Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions 24, 45-56. doi: 10.1016/j.eist.2016.10.003

Wittmayer, J.M.; Hölscher, K. (2016): Transformation Research – Goals, Contents, Methods. Expert workshop, June 14, 2016, in Berlin. Rotterdam.