Synopsis "The Art of Planning: To Listen, Read, Speak and Write (in English)"
What do planners do when working on theoretical issues? Whether in a university, at a municipal planning office, or as a private consultant, they listen, read, speak, and write. They work with language in quite different yet very practical ways. They approach their profession by bridging the gap between theory and practice. They are developers of a particular 'art': art as performance; art as the good and meaningful use of language; art as understanding the context of time and place; and art as creative and innovative action. So, just like the art of engineering or the art of downhill skiing, this book is about skill and excellence. The Art of Planning: To Listen, Read, Speak and Write is presented in two sections. The first part of the book examines theoretical issues, such as wholeness and the fragment, borders in mind and space, the art of rhetoric, and the risk society. It is a commentary upon ongoing discussions in planning theory. The second part of the book presents a concept for teaching planning based on different approaches, such as instrumental rationality, communicative rationality, and the rationality of power. The book's author has followed the development of theory and practice in planning for 50 years. Having been a professional planner, researcher, and university lecturer, he argues that we have witnessed a change in making many examples of good practice into objective science. We are longing for facts, but the crucial issues involve what we do with the facts and what types of action do these facts trigger.
