The Art of Planning

Often when I tell people that I’m studying Urban and Regional Planning, they’re not familiar with it and ask what it involves. This seemingly simple question can be difficult to answer because, as highlighted by this week’s reading, the planning profession is one that has undergone substantial change and encompasses an array of disciplines.

This week’s article investigates the meaning of the phrase ‘the art of planning’, in which art is defined as having three components: design, craft and presentation.

In the early stages of planning, around the 1930’s, knowledge was drawn from the design, engineering, law, social sciences and economics disciplines. There was little development made in terms of presentation- the profession involved creating plans on paper with little public interaction or consultation and planners were viewed as ‘neutral’. Planning in this period was influenced by the New Deal economic policy. In the 1960’s, the post war atmosphere impacted the profession, and planners were involved with the creation of many policies. Education in planning during this period expanded, with more than seventy universities offering the course. This trend continued into the 1980’s, With many professors from the social sciences field appointed, thus a strong focus on this aspect within the planning field. Currently planners are described as experts who combine design, craft and presentation aspects with knowledge from many disciplines, and who have an awareness of different value systems.

The planning profession has been shaped by the external environment, and will therefore continue to evolve and change. Continued development of the craft aspect of planning will help ensure the success and viability of the profession in the future. Planning practice overlaps with that of many other disciplines, so it is the unique skills and attributes of planner’s that distinguish it from these fields. The importance of the planning profession is paramount as it takes a triple bottom line approach, focusing on social, environmental and economic factors- a quality that will greatly help deal with the complex and multi faceted issues facing society today such as climate change.