UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA Environmental Studies 411/606
Planning Theory, Process and Implementation
2000

Instructor: Dr. John Curry, Associate Professor of Environmental Planning
Time and Location: Thursday 6:30 to 9:20 in Room 5-177. Course

Themes
The purpose of this course is to examine three general themes. What is planning theory and how can theory inform planning practice? How do planners manage planning processes and what communicative skills are important in facilitating these processes? Finally, how can we improve plan implementation and what skills are important in implementation. These themes will be addressed through an examination of the historical evolution of planning theory (various readings) an examination of the communicative skills required to work effectively within the highly political environment of planning practice (Forester 1989).

Course Goal and Objectives
The overall goal of this course is to create an intellectual environment whereby students can develop their own personal philosophy of planning practice. The following objectives will assist in the attainment of this goal:

  1. Provide an introduction and overview of the history of planning theory and practice.
  2. Explore planning theory through the examination of: Hudson's (1979) five traditions of planning synoptic planning, incremental planning, transactive planning, advocacy planning, and radical planning; Friedman's (1996) four traditions of planning social reform, policy analysis, social learning, and social mobilization; Sandercock’s postmodern possibilities; and traditions described by other authors.
  3. Examine, through the writings of Forester (1989), the power and professional responsibility of planners and other actors in public planning processes, and discuss the skills planners need to carry out their professional responsibilities.
  4. Review the currently evolving post-modern, feminist, and bioregional planning theories.
Readings
  • Sandercock, Leonie. 1998. Cosmopolis. Chichester, West Sussex, England: Wiley. (Course Text)
  • Forester, John. 1989. Planning in the Face of Power. Berkeley, Calif: University of California Press. (Course Text)
  • Campbell, Scott., and Susan Fainstein. (Eds.). Readings in Planning Theory. Cambridge, Mass: Blackwell Publishers. (Course Text)
  • Other readings as noted throughout the course outline.

Students will select readings of interest to the class for individual presentation.

Office Hours Tuesday and Thursday 2:30 to 3:30 pm. Room Admin3011 Other times by appointment. Please phone 960-5837.  

DETAILED COURSE OUTLINE ENVS411/606
Planning Theory, Process and Implementation

WEEK ONE      January 6, 2000

  • Course Overview
    • Philosophy of teaching. Social learning, learning triangle.
    • Review/revision to course outline based on the theoretical interests of students.
    • Suggestions for guest speakers.
    • Overview of planning theory and practice.
    • SITAR.
  • Video – Mindwalk: A Film for Passionate Thinkers. Based on Turning Point by Fritjof Capra.

Reading for Week One
Hudson, Barclay. 1979. Comparison of Current Planning Theories: Counterparts and Contradictions. Journal of the American Planning Association 45(2): 387-98. October 1979. (11pages).  

Reading for Week Two

  1. Friedman, John. 1996. Two Centuries of Planning Theory: An Overview. In Explorations in Planning Theory ed. Seymour Mandelbaum, Luigi Mazza, and Robert Burchell, 10-29. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Centre for Urban Policy Research. (10 pages).
  2. Sandercock – Chapter One (11 pages).
WEEK TWO      January 13, 2000
  • Friedman -- The Terrain of Planning Thought.
  • Friedman -- Arguments for and Against Planning.
  • Sandercock -- A Chronicle of Modernist Planning.
Readings for Week Three
  1. Forester Preface and Part One (12 pages).
  2. Sandercock – Chapter Two (12 pages).
  3. Fishman, Robert. 1996. Urban Utopias: Ebenezer Howard and Le Corbusier In Readings in Planning Theory (ed.) Scott Campbell and Susan Fainstein 19-67. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwater. (25 pages).
WEEK THREE      January 20, 2000
  • Forester -- The Challenge of Planning Practice and What Do Planning Analysts Do? Planning and Policy Analysis as Organizing.
  • Sandercock -- Planning History.
  • Fishman -- Urban Utopias.
Reading for Week Four
  1. Forester -- Chapter Three - Planning in the Face of Power. (10 pages).
  2. Sandercock – Chapter Three (13 pages)
  3. Healey, Patsy. 1996. Planning Though Debate: The Communicative Turn in Planning Theory. In Readings in Planning Theory (ed.) Scott Campbell and Susan Fainstein 68-102. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwater. (18 pages).
  WEEK FOUR      January 27, 2000
  • Forester -- Planning in the Face of Power.
  • Sandercock -- Exploring Planning’s Knowledges.
  • Healey -- Communicative Planning.
Readings for Week Five
  1. Forester -- Chapter Four - The Politics of Muddling Through. (10 pages).
  2. Sandercock -- Chapter Four (11 pages).
  3. Wilson, William. 1996. The Glory, Destruction, and Meaning of the City Beautiful Movement In Readings in Planning Theory (ed.) Scott Campbell and Susan Fainstein 68-102. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwater. (17 pages).
  WEEK FIVE February 3, 2000
Guest Speaker, One Economic View of Planning -- Harry Backlin, Commercial Real Estate Specialist with Coldwell Banker.
  • Forester -- The Politics of Muddling Through.
  • Sandercock -- The Difference that Theory Makes.
  • Wilson -- City Beautiful Movement.
Readings for Week Six
  1. Forester -- Chapter Five - Views of Planning Organizations. (8 pages) and Chapter Six - Planning in the Face of Conflict: Mediated Negotiation Strategies in Practice. (12 pages).
  2. Sandercock – Chapter Five (10 pages)
  3. Davidoff, Paul. 1996. Advocacy and Pluralism in Planning. In Readings in Planning Theory (ed.) Scott Campbell and Susan Fainstein 305-22. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwater. (7 pages).
  WEEK SIX      February 10, 2000
Guest Speaker, One Social View of Planning-- Theresa Healy, Executive Director of the Prince George Community Planning Council.
  • Forester -- Views of Planning Organizations and Planning in the Face of Conflict: Mediated Negotiation Strategies in Practice.
  • Sandercock -- Voices from the Borderlands: The Theory that Difference Makes.
  • Davidoff -- Pluralism in Planning.
Readings for Week Seven
  1. Sandercock – Chapter Six (16 pages)
  2. Jacobs, Jane. 1996. The Death and Life of Great American Cities In Readings in Planning Theory (ed.) Scott Campbell and Susan Fainstein 103-120. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwater. (9 pages).
  3. Krumholz, Norman. 1996. A Retrospective View of Equity Planning: Cleveland, 1969 - 1979 In Readings in Planning Theory (ed.) Scott Campbell and Susan Fainstein 305-22. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwater. (18 pages).
  WEEK SEVEN      February 17, 2000
Guest Speaker, One Planning Consultant’s View of Planning. Darwin Horning, Project/GIS Coordinator with Agra Earth and Environmental.
  • Jane Jacobs -- The Death and Life of Great American Cities.
  • Norman Krumholz -- Equity Planning.
Readings for Week Eight
  1. Forester -- Chapter Seven - Listening: The Social Policy of Everyday Life. (6 pages) and Chapter Eight - Designing as Making Sense Together. (9 pages).
  2. Sandercock – Chapter Seven (20 pages)
  3. Grabow, Stephen, and Allan Heskin. 1973. Foundations for a Radical Concept of Planning. Journal of the American Institute of Planning. 39(2): 106-14. (7 pages).

Winter Break -- No class on February 24, 2000  

WEEK EIGHT      March 2, 2000
Guest Speaker, A Natural Resource View of Planning. Mike Murtha, Resource Planner with B.C. Parks.

  • Forester -- Listening: The Social Policy of Everyday Life and Forester -- Designing as Making Sense Together Radical Planning.
  • Sandercock -- Towards Cosmopolis: A Postmodern Utopia.
  • Grabow -- Radial Planning.
Readings for Week Nine
  1. Forester -- Chapter Nine - Understanding Planning Practice. (13 pages).
  2. Sandercock – Chapter Eight (9 pages)
  3. Levy, John. 1996. What Economic Developers Actually Do: Location Quotients versus Press Releases In Readings in Planning Theory (ed.) Scott Campbell and Susan Fainstein 367-82. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwater. (8 pages).
WEEK NINE      March 9, 2000
Guest Speaker, A Native View of Planning. Mark Yawnay, Planner with BC Agriculture.
  • Forester -- Understanding Planning Practice
  • Sandercock -- Planning for Cosmopolis: A New Paradigm.
  • Levy -- Economic Development.
Readings for Week Ten
  1. Birkeland, Janis. 1991. An Ecofeminist Critique of Manstream Planning. The Trumpeter. 8(2): 72-84. (11 pages).
  2. MacGregor, Sherilyn. 1995. Deconstructing The Man-Made City: Feminist Critiques of Planning Thought and Action. In Change of Plans: Towards a Non-Sexist Sustainable City ed. Margrit Eichler 25-49. Toronto: Garamond Press. (10 pages).
  WEEK TEN March 16, 2000 Video – Adam’s World, National Film Board of Canada.
  • Birkeland and MacGregor -- Ecofeminist Critique of Manstream Planning
Readings for Week Eleven
  1. Tukel, George. 1982. Towards a Bioregional Model: Clearing Ground for Watershed Planning. (12 pages).
  2. Permaculture: Concepts and Themes in Design. (20 pages).
  WEEK ELEVEN March 23, 2000 Guest Speaker, A Recent Graduate’s View of Planning. Maggie Hutton, Planning Consultant.
  • Tukel – Bioregionalism.
  • Mollison – Premaculture.
Readings for Week Twelve
  1. Kaufman, Jerome. 1996. A Public Planning Perspective on Strategic Planning. In Readings in Planning Theory (ed.) Scott Campbell and Susan Fainstein 323-43. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwater. ( 10 pages).
  2. Can Selfishness Save the Environment. In Readings in Planning Theory (ed.) Scott Campbell and Susan Fainstein 198-212. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwater. (7 pages).
WEEK TWELVE March 30, 2000
  • Kaufman -- Strategic Planning.
  • Environmental Planning
  WEEK THIRTEEN April 6, 2000
  • Synthesis of Theory, Process and Implementation.
  • Course Evaluations.

Course Evaluation

ENVS-411 Presentation 30% Term Paper 50%
Class Participation 20%    
       
ENVS-606 Presentations 40% Term Paper 50%
Class Participation 10%    

Presentation(s) will encompass students leading discussion for reading assignments. Lecture notes should be prepared and available to all students prior to the presentation.

Term paper will encompass an in-depth analysis of your personal philosophy of planning (15 - 20 pages).

Class participation assessment will focus on the student=s attendance and contribution to class discussions, including presentations by other students. This is a reading/seminar course and therefore all students will be expected to complete readings prior to class and play an active role in class discussion.

Email comments and corrections to curryj@unbc.ca

[ John Curry Webpage ]