Construction of the Planners’ Judgments in the Planning Culture Approach

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Architecture and Urbanism faculty, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Considering the importance of studying the relations between spatial planning and cultural contexts, the aim of this paper was to provide a theoretical and conceptual framework for a systematic analysis of planning practices related to a cultural and social context. Understanding the relationships between the spatial planning as an operative instrument of the territorial policy and the cultural context—including the specific socioeconomic patterns and the related cultural norms, values, traditions, and attitudes—is possible by introducing the concept of ‘the planning culture’. Through perception of the planning culture as a cultural system, decisions and judgements of the planners are influenced by both the individual and collectively shared cognitive frameworks, through which planners perceive the planning context. In other words, planning culture refers to the mental predispositions and the shared values of those involved at all stages of the planning processes (agenda setting, decision making and implementation) which could influence their behavior and action. Planners make different judgements in their daily work process – they define the planning problem, they formulate goals and objectives and imple­ment certain instruments to develop good or desirable places, neighbourhoods, cities or regions. They always perceive the world through a ‘cultural lens’ which consists of the commonly shared accumulated attitudes, values, rules, standards and beliefs of both the individual planners and the planning institutions. To understand and compare the planning practices and judgements, the conceptual framework – consisting of the dimensions such as the cognitive frameworks of the individual planners; actors and their interactions; the institutional context and the planning system and the social context has been introduced. These dimensions could influence the planning and planners’ judgements. The goal of such investigation has been to avoid the reductionist conceptualization of the spatial planning and considering the planners as those who are so passive that could not interpret and re-interpret the rules and norms in the framework of their individual and collective motivations.   

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References

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  • Receive Date: 01 January 1970
  • Accept Date: 01 January 1970

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