Planning Theories

Question 1

Theories of Urban Development

Answer 1

Concentric Circle, Sector, Multiple Nuclei, and Central Place

Question 2

Concentric Circle Theory

Answer 2

Developed by Ernest Burgess in 1925. Sociologist who studied the growth of Chicago. Cities grow in a series of outward rings, and land use is based on distance from downtown.

Question 3

5 Rings in Concentric Circle Theory

Answer 3

1) the central business district 2) the industrial zone; 3) the zone of transition, industrial and low-income housing (at one time this ring had high-income, large houses); 4) the zone of middle class housing; 5) the commuter zone, with higher-income housing.

Question 4

Bid Rent Curve

Answer 4

A theory explaining land use patterns based on how much people are willing to pay for land, in turn, based on the profits that are likely to receive from maintaining a business on that land. Biz in CBD will have highest number of customers, make most money and pays most rent. Needed CCT to make this work. William Alonso

Question 5

Sector Theory

Answer 5

Developed by Homer Hoyt in 1939. Biz guy from Chicago, real estate development. Disagreed with CCT. Land uses vary b/c of transportation. The city, as a result, was a series of sectors radiating out from the center of the city.

Question 6

Multiple Nuclei Theory

Answer 6

Developed by Harris and Ullman in 1945. Cities develop a series of specific land use nuclei. A land use nucleus is formed because of accessibility to natural resources, clustering of similar uses, land prices, and the repelling power of land uses.

Question 7

Central Place Theory

Answer 7

Developed by Walter Christaller in 1933. The theory states that there is a minimum market threshold to bring a firm to a city and there is a maximum range of people who are willing to travel to receive goods and services Also useful as a way of understanding the hierarchy of retail establishments in cities (for example nail salons on every block, a grocery store every 10 blocks, and a large shopping center servicing a much larger area).

Question 8

Theories of Planning Practice

Answer 8

Rational
Incremental
Mixed Scanning
Advocacy
Transactive
Radical
Communicative

Question 9

The basic steps in rational planning are to:

Answer 9

Set Goals
Determine Alternatives
Evaluate the Alternatives
Choose an Alternative
Implement the Alternative
Evaluate

Question 10

What is satisfice?

Answer 10

A term from rational planning. Coined by Herbert Simon. The term accepts that the human mind is limited in its ability to solve problems. We instead choose alternatives that are good enough. Simon argued that the rational “economic man” should be replaced by the “administrative man” who satisfies.

Question 11

What are the Criticisms of Rational Planning?

Answer 11

Can’t solve wicked problems AND it doesn’t specify WHO sets the goals.

It cannot be used when we have “wicked” problems. Wicked problems are those that are complicated and difficult to solve.

Rational planning can only work when the problem can be easily defined and there can be the best solution.

Rationality is supposed to be value-free. Goals are based on public interest, defined as the good of the whole community. Rational planning should not be used if there is no consensus within a community on a particular issue.

Question 12

Rational Planning

Answer 12

Rational planning was the dominant planning theory through the 1950s. While this model has been discredited, it can still be seen in use in all areas of the planning practice.

Question 13

Where does Rational Planning still exist?

Answer 13

In particular, transportation planning is one area in which rational planning persists.

Question 14

Incremental Planning origin

Answer 14

1959, Charles Lindblom published the article “The Science of Muddling Through”, which introduced the concept of incrementalism.

Question 15

Incremental Planning

Answer 15

Planning has to be piecemeal, incremental, opportunistic, and pragmatic. Planning in the real world is not rational and comprehensive, but is instead disjointed and incremental.

Question 16

Criticism of Incremental Planning

Answer 16

As with rational planning, incrementalism does not specify WHOSE values should be used in establishing goals.

Question 17

Mixed Scanning origin

Answer 17

Amitai Etzioni in an 1967 article of Public Administrative Review. Presented as a third option to rational and incremental planning.

Question 18

What is Mixed Scanning and what does it do?

Answer 18

Mixed scanning views planning decisions at two levels: the big picture and the small picture.

recognizing the difference between policy-changing decisions and implementation decisions.

Etzioni argued that fundamental policy-shaping decisions should be based on a more careful rational analysis of alternatives. Implementation decisions, on the other hand, should use an incremental approach.

Question 19

What are the Criticism of Mixed Scanning

Answer 19

As with the rational and incremental approaches, it does not identify WHO is involved in the process or whose values are used.

Question 20

Advocacy Planning Origin

Answer 20

Developed in the 1960s by Paul Davidoff as a way to represent the interests of groups within a community.

Question 21

What is Advocacy Planning and what does it do?

Answer 21

Davidoff argued that planners should represent special interest groups rather than acting for the good of the whole community

Planners, therefore, should work to create plans that represent varying interest groups, resulting in plural plans for public consideration.

Advocacy planning shifted for whom the planner plans, but it did not change what the planner does. The planner would still utilize rational and incremental approaches to planning.

Question 22

What is Equity Planning?

Answer 22

While advocacy planning promoted the planner as an advocate for special interest groups, some argued that the role of the planner should be to advocate specifically for the disadvantaged in the community. This is known as equity planning.

Question 23

Who was the founder of Equity Planning

Answer 23

Norman Krumholz adopted equity planning in Cleveland during the 1970s and helped make the needs of low-income groups the highest priority.

Krumholz’s view on equity planning was that planners should work to redistribute power, resources, or participation away from the elite and toward the poor and working-class residents of the community.

Plans are evaluated on Quality of Life improvements.

Question 24

What are the Criticisms of Equity Planning

Answer 24

It leaves planners with few options if local leaders (mayor and council) are not in tune with the need for progressive political action.

Question 25

Transactive Planning origin

Answer 25

1973, John Friedmann published the book Retracking America: A Theory of Transactive Planning.

Question 26

What is Transactive Planning

Answer 26

Transactive planning theory was developed in the 1970s as a way to get the public more involved in the planning process.

In transactive planning, the planner meets with individuals in the community to discuss issues and help develop a plan. Through a process of “mutual learning,” the planner shares technical knowledge, while the citizens provide community knowledge.

Question 27

What are the Criticisms of Transactive Planning?

Answer 27

1) it takes a large amount of time to meet with individuals and utilize the mutual learning process.
2) how to evaluate the importance of each person’s community knowledge.
3) transactive planning cannot work in situations in which there are large differences of opinion and/or many stakeholders.

Question 28

Radical Planning origins

Answer 28

1987, John Friedmann published a book titled Planning in the Public Domain: From Knowledge to Action

Question 29

What is Radical Planning?

Answer 29

The concept of radical planning, which involves taking power away from the government and giving it to the people. In this process, citizens get together and develop their own plans.

Question 30

What are the Criticisms of Radical Planning?

Answer 30

It is a form of planning that is particularly difficult to implement, as we are hard-pressed to find examples of U.S. governments allowing neighborhoods or individual groups to develop and implement their own plans.

Question 31

Communicative Planning Origin

Answer 31

An approach to planning that gathers stakeholders and engages them in the process to make decisions together in a manner that respects positions of all involved.

Question 32

What is Communicative Planning?

Answer 32

this theory recognizes that planning operates within the realm of politics and that it contains a variety of stakeholder interests. The communicative approach tries to use a rational model as a basis for bringing mutual understanding among all stakeholders. Planners can provide the stakeholders with information and bring people together to discuss the issues.

Question 33

What theory of planning is used today?

Answer 33

Communicative Planning

Question 34

1987 Growth Machine Theory

Answer 34

Harvey Molotch. Foced on the role of elites and entrepreneurs in crrating the growth of the city. Growth and developmenmt are seen as necessary for economic health of the city.

Question 35

What is a Wicked Problem?

Answer 35

Problems that comlicated and difficult to solve. An Example is homelessness. which has no one root cause and no one alternative that can elminate the problem.