Planning Theory
Lecture 1- introduction (deconstructing the idea of science)
Philosophy: is Aristotle’s law of non-contradiction true?
- In a really well defined environment, where certainty is al around, it can be true. But,
with uncertainty, it can’t be true. (Planning = uncertainty)
Philosophy: is reality a construct of our mind?
- Something is only a tree/wall/etc. because we collectively agreed that it is
Theory: will theory give us a better understanding of reality?
Discipline: is physics superior to social sciences?
Rationality: is the result to connect A + B a straight line from A to B?
- A linear kind of reasoning is kind of exclusive, presuming you can be straightforward
in your approach
The planning debate: from where, to, when, why? jumping on a driving train (symbolizes
the ever evolving debate in planning theory)
Scholars:
- Marx why is he relevant to planning? because he discussed values
- Kevin Lynch
- Lewis Mumford history of planning
- Le Corbusier straightforward rationality
- Ebenezer Howard
- Richard Florida
- David Harvey the city is also a construct of the mind (driven by money)
- Lefebvre the right to the city communicative turn in planning
- Christaller
Planning: the science of purposeful interventions
- The world as it is the world as it ought to be
- We believe that we have to intervene, that cities don’t evolve themselves
o E.g. 1901: housing act NL
o Reasons= health
o How do we want to go about intervening? If necessary, if desired
- Past:
o Religion
o Symbols
o Divine
o Ideal planning
- Contemporary
o Positivism/constructivism
o Linear/integral
o Functional/communicative
o Means-end/consensus
- Future
, o Pluralism
o Non-linear
o ‘go with the flow’
o Adaptive planning
Fibonacci
- The golden ratio
- Non-linear
- The world in algorithms (divine proportions)
o Consequence for spatial planning:
Cardinal Duc de Richeleu
Used divine proportions to built a town/city (as it was the
rhythm that god gave us)
During this time, people began to explain the world through numbers
(e.g. the golden ratio or pi), they believed they could explain the chaos
and world surrounding them, through numbers
Mandelbrot
- Repetitive equations (patterns/rhythms/dynamic)
What do these two have in common? Rhythms & patterns in real life/society
Lecture 2- tour into planning & decision-making
The world is not static, but emerging/non-linear
Idea of science emerged from the 20th century, however, in the past there were other ideas of
science (e.g. grasping the world in numbers/algorithms; or based on religion) assumption
= ‘’we can understand it all’’
New perspective: understanding the future/change, rather than understanding the existing
world around us
Theory what is theory? (Theory does not equal the truth!)
- Trying to grasp reality/abstractions/discourse
- Is it about the orems & axioms, such as in mathematics?
o No; says nothing about reality
E.g. the ‘’=’’ means certainty, but it is not reality itself, it is a model or
tool to help us understand reality
- Difference natural/social sciences?
o Reductionistic vs. expansionistic
The social sciences need context, there are no isolated incidents
- Is theory the right world?
o Theory isn’t something written on a paper, or universal law. But, ongoing
debate about ideas about reality, which is ever changing. Thus: never fixed or
true
- Types of theory:
o Normative: how it ought to be
Ideal type
But what is then the point of reference?
, o Unsolved problems in the world
o But, not evidence based
Argumentative
Cultural/political/ethical ideas (societal debate) determine what
the ideal world means
Examples:
Raising dikes/co2 reduction
Vaccination/closing borders
Lynch good city form
Jacobs conditions for liveable cities
School of life
o Prescriptive: tells you what to do
How to act
Protocol
Borges; order of animals by Chinese servants; patterns are determined
by culture; make sense for us; but not for everyone
Value > facts
o Empirical (descriptive): the world as it is
Fact checking
Explains and interprets reality and testing hypothesis
Example
Christaller
o Models
Rhythms of functions which explain why it’s build like it is, simple
representation
Garden city; normative why? London (a ‘’disgusting’’ city)
Christaller
o Conceptual frameworks: concepts i.o. theory
More loose (still a work in progress)
o Proto
Lecture 9/10
Certainty vs. uncertainty
Theory; ongoing discussion, about thoughts in and of planning
Lecture 1- introduction (deconstructing the idea of science)
Philosophy: is Aristotle’s law of non-contradiction true?
- In a really well defined environment, where certainty is al around, it can be true. But,
with uncertainty, it can’t be true. (Planning = uncertainty)
Philosophy: is reality a construct of our mind?
- Something is only a tree/wall/etc. because we collectively agreed that it is
Theory: will theory give us a better understanding of reality?
Discipline: is physics superior to social sciences?
Rationality: is the result to connect A + B a straight line from A to B?
- A linear kind of reasoning is kind of exclusive, presuming you can be straightforward
in your approach
The planning debate: from where, to, when, why? jumping on a driving train (symbolizes
the ever evolving debate in planning theory)
Scholars:
- Marx why is he relevant to planning? because he discussed values
- Kevin Lynch
- Lewis Mumford history of planning
- Le Corbusier straightforward rationality
- Ebenezer Howard
- Richard Florida
- David Harvey the city is also a construct of the mind (driven by money)
- Lefebvre the right to the city communicative turn in planning
- Christaller
Planning: the science of purposeful interventions
- The world as it is the world as it ought to be
- We believe that we have to intervene, that cities don’t evolve themselves
o E.g. 1901: housing act NL
o Reasons= health
o How do we want to go about intervening? If necessary, if desired
- Past:
o Religion
o Symbols
o Divine
o Ideal planning
- Contemporary
o Positivism/constructivism
o Linear/integral
o Functional/communicative
o Means-end/consensus
- Future
, o Pluralism
o Non-linear
o ‘go with the flow’
o Adaptive planning
Fibonacci
- The golden ratio
- Non-linear
- The world in algorithms (divine proportions)
o Consequence for spatial planning:
Cardinal Duc de Richeleu
Used divine proportions to built a town/city (as it was the
rhythm that god gave us)
During this time, people began to explain the world through numbers
(e.g. the golden ratio or pi), they believed they could explain the chaos
and world surrounding them, through numbers
Mandelbrot
- Repetitive equations (patterns/rhythms/dynamic)
What do these two have in common? Rhythms & patterns in real life/society
Lecture 2- tour into planning & decision-making
The world is not static, but emerging/non-linear
Idea of science emerged from the 20th century, however, in the past there were other ideas of
science (e.g. grasping the world in numbers/algorithms; or based on religion) assumption
= ‘’we can understand it all’’
New perspective: understanding the future/change, rather than understanding the existing
world around us
Theory what is theory? (Theory does not equal the truth!)
- Trying to grasp reality/abstractions/discourse
- Is it about the orems & axioms, such as in mathematics?
o No; says nothing about reality
E.g. the ‘’=’’ means certainty, but it is not reality itself, it is a model or
tool to help us understand reality
- Difference natural/social sciences?
o Reductionistic vs. expansionistic
The social sciences need context, there are no isolated incidents
- Is theory the right world?
o Theory isn’t something written on a paper, or universal law. But, ongoing
debate about ideas about reality, which is ever changing. Thus: never fixed or
true
- Types of theory:
o Normative: how it ought to be
Ideal type
But what is then the point of reference?
, o Unsolved problems in the world
o But, not evidence based
Argumentative
Cultural/political/ethical ideas (societal debate) determine what
the ideal world means
Examples:
Raising dikes/co2 reduction
Vaccination/closing borders
Lynch good city form
Jacobs conditions for liveable cities
School of life
o Prescriptive: tells you what to do
How to act
Protocol
Borges; order of animals by Chinese servants; patterns are determined
by culture; make sense for us; but not for everyone
Value > facts
o Empirical (descriptive): the world as it is
Fact checking
Explains and interprets reality and testing hypothesis
Example
Christaller
o Models
Rhythms of functions which explain why it’s build like it is, simple
representation
Garden city; normative why? London (a ‘’disgusting’’ city)
Christaller
o Conceptual frameworks: concepts i.o. theory
More loose (still a work in progress)
o Proto
Lecture 9/10
Certainty vs. uncertainty
Theory; ongoing discussion, about thoughts in and of planning
