New Directions in Planning Theory

'New Directions in Planning Theory' (Susan S Fanstein)

The Communicative Model

• Also known as the collaborative model
• Maximisation of mediation between stake holders
• Based on two theories; American Pragmatism and communicative rationality
• Based on openness and transparency

The New Urbanism

• A physical approach to the planning process and is often inclusive of diagrams to paint the physical picture
• Includes a variety of building types, mixed use facilities, intermingling of housing to cater different income groups
• Focused on combining work and everyday life

The Just City

• Focused on the end result more so then the actual process and is based on a relationship between equity and space
• Capitalist approach
• Core values: diversity, democracy and equity
• Based heavily on class systems
• Core focus is to increase economic wealth

'Three Significant Developments But No Paradigm Shifts' (Nigel Taylor)

Paradigm Shifts - a change in the basic assumptions within the ruling theory of the discipline, from Thomas Kuhn's book Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962)

Town Planning as an exercise in physical design:

• Done by architects
• Or individuals who were trained as architects
• Town planning was just on a larger scale

Firstly, an essentially physical or morphological view of towns was to be replaced with a view of towns as systems of interrelated activities in a constant state of flux.

Secondly, whereas town planners had tended to view and judge towns predominately in physical and aesthetic terms, they were now to examine the town in terms of its social life and economic activities.

Thirdly, because the town was now seen as a 'live' functioning thing, this implied a 'process', rather than an 'end-state' or 'blueprint' approach to town planning and plan-making.

Finally, all of these conceptual changes implied, in turn, a change in the kinds of skills, or techniques, which were appropriate to town planning. For if town planners were trying to control and plan complex, dynamic systems, then what seemed to be required were rigorously analytical, 'scientific' methods of analysis.