WHAT DO PLANNERS NEED TO KNOW? IDENTIFYING NEEDED COMPETENCIES, METHODS, AND SKILLS

摘要

Today the answer to the question, " What do planners need to know? " is a paradox: rejecting scientific-substantive knowledge in theory and demanding professional expertise in practice. But defining knowledge in planning raises other questions: What is planning? What is planning for? Who are the planners? For practical purposes, there is no "planning, " only different kinds of planning with referents, e.g., urban planning, advocacy planning, or environmental planning. Therefore, universal prescriptions for planning make little sense: prescriptions can only be contingent for a defined context. Identifying the planners also depends on the kind of planning and the definition of "planners": they can either be all the actors in a planning process or they can be the socially recognized expert practitioners. Analysis of practices suggests that needed knowledge varies systematically: general planning at lower levels of governance demands more appreciative knowledge and less expertise; as the level of governance rises and planning is more sectoral and specialized, more substantive knowledge and expertise are required. Implications are explored for planning theory, practice, and education.