2 research outputs found
Theorizing Practice and Practising Theory: Outlines for an Actor-Relational-Approach in Planning
Theorizing practice and practising theory: outlines for an actor-relational approach in planning
Not only in the Netherlands, but also elsewhere, there is stalemate
between modern and postmodern/post-structural planning, or
alternatively, between state-controlled and neo-liberal planning. Since the
1980s at least, modernist, state-controlled planning has been fundamentally
debunked as a highly regulatory and prescriptive operation,
resulting in syrupy planning processes, which are very costly, inflexible
and inefficient, and suppressing all new and creative initiatives that do not
fit within the set framework. Postmodern and post-structural alternatives
developed since then have been very effective in counter-attacking the
alleged virtues of that planning strategy, but less fruitful at promoting
effective and/or sustainable practices. The article assumes that this is
related to the fact that time and again these alternatives continue to be
formulated from within the existing planning framework, from a specific
governmental, or at least a government influenced, view of planning: in
essence from the inside-out. From this position, the article goes on to
describe the possible outlines for a practical outside-inward, actorrelational-
approach. It has been developed from experimental case
studies in concrete planning practices, for example, a case study in
Southern Limburg in the Netherlands. Concurrently, it has also been
derived from a fundamental interaction with behavioural, urban regime
and actor-network/network actor theories, with an extensive evaluation
of the latter. The article concludes with a call for a new fundamental, but proactive, reassembling of spatial planning in an actor-oriented, as
opposed to a government-oriented, way