Planning Theory

Question 1

Rational Planning

Answer 1

• a structured process of decision making that seeks to maximize achievement of desired goals by careful consideration of potential consequences of available alternatives
• focuses on quality of decisions and subordination of action to knowledge and of knowledge to values
• discredited, but persists in some areas such as transportation planning

1950s

Myerson and Banfield, Herbert Simon

Question 2

According to rational planning, what are the three things planning should be?

Answer 2

• efficient with resources
• reproducible
• objective

Question 3

What are the components of the rational planning model?

Answer 3

• analysis of situation
• end reduction - what are the goals and how are they prioritized?
• deign courses of action - how can we acieve the goals?
• comparative evaluation of consequences
• end-consequence reduction - optimization

Question 4

What are the challenges/criticisms of rational planning?

Answer 4

• wicked problems - problems are complex, not subject to optimization, and attempts to fix will change problems
• not feasible when goals and means are uncertain - such as with broad groups with diverse interests
• knowledge is limited - cannot have perfect knowledge of all factors in a situation
• procedural rationality is more reasonable - approximates rationality within limits
• interests are plural - “public interest” is subject to oversimplification, requires consensus on goals and values to act

Question 5

What are wicked problems?

Answer 5

• problems that are complex and difficult to solve
• attempts to solve them changes the problem
• the definition of the problem evolves
• for example, homelessness

Rittel and webber

Question 6

Satisfice

Answer 6

• bounded rationality - human mind is limited in its ability to solve problems so we choose alternatives that are good enough
• the “economic man” should be replaced by the “administrative man” who satisfices

• Herbert Simon

Question 7

Incrementalism

Answer 7

• major policy changes are best made in little increments over time
• select goals and policies simultaneously
• only consider alternatives marginally different than the status quo
• limited consideration of consequences
• trust social experimentation over theory
• act incrementally through repeated attacks on the problem
• select a strategy for which consensus is possible

1950s-60s

Charles Lindblom

Question 8

According to incrementalism, what are the 4 things planning should be?

Answer 8

• piecemeal
• incremental
• opportunistic
• pragmatic

Question 9

Mixed Scanning

Answer 9

• compromise between rational and incrementalism
• policy-shaping decisions should be based on careful rational analysis of alternatives
• implementation decisions should use incremental approach
• assumes centralized decision-making process

1960s

Amitali Etzioni

Question 10

Advocacy (Progressive) Planning

Answer 10

• a planner is not value neutral
• public interest is plural, not unitary. A single plan cannot represent the public interest
• planning should be pluralistic and represent diverse interests
• planners should assist various interest groups to propose their own goals, policies, and plans, rather than act for the good of the community
• planners advocate for the goal of their clients with special responsibility to marginalized interests
• shifted for whom we plan, but still use rational and incrementalism
• can result in conflict with differing plans and priorities, how do you decide which plan is adopted and funded?

1960s

Paul Davidoff

Question 11

Equity Planning

Answer 11

• subset of advocacy planning
• role of planner should specifically be to advocate for the disadvantaged
• work to redistribute power, resources, or participation away from elite and toward the poor and working class
• greater emphasis to the process of personal and organizational development
• plans evaluated on improvements to the quality of life, not delivery of services

1970s

Normal Krumholtz

Question 12

Transactive Planning

Answer 12

• way to get public more involved in planning process
• meet with individuals in community to discuss issues and help develop a plan
• mutual learning - planners share technical knowledge while citizens provide community knowledge
• takes a lot of time
• challenge of evaluating importance of each person’s community knowledge
• cannot work with too many stakeholders or those with too large differences of opinion

1970s

John Friedman

Question 13

Radical Planning

Answer 13

• taking power away from government and giving it to the people
• citizens get together to develop and implement
• difficult to implement

1980s

Saul Alinsky

Question 14

Communicative Planning

Answer 14

• recognizes planning happens in realm of politics and contains a variety of stakeholder interests
• rational model as a basis to bring mutual understanding among stakeholders
• planners provide information and bring people together
• planner acts as facillitator
• listen to peoples views and assist in providing consensus. mediate through talk and discussion.
• social learning
• critical theory

Question 15

Social learning

Answer 15

• problem setting is important - define decisions to be made, ends to achieve, and means which may be chosen
• recognition of socially constructed bases of information

communicative planning

Question 16

critical theory

Answer 16

• political economic power may function to systematically inform affected public
• misinformation must be addressed and counteracted
• four conditions of ideal speech: clear and comprehensible; sincere and trustworthy; appropriate and legitimate; accurate and true

communicative planning