Collaborative Planning: Shaping Places in Fragmented Societies

by Patsy Healey

Spatial and environmental planning is an essential feature of all but the very simplest of societies. Its form and role and the principles on which it should be based, however, have become increasingly controversial questions. In this important book Patsy Healey draws on a wide range of new thinking in social, political and spatial theory to provide a framework for planning which is rooted in the institutional realities of our increasingly fragmented societies but designed to foster communication and collaborative action. The second edition includes a major new chapter assessing recent developments in theory and practice.

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Oleksii Pedosenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but already feels a bit outdated.

[Gede Suprayoga · Rating 4 out of 5]

How spatial planning activities can be mobilized effectively to solve societal goals? This book aims to seek the answer. Theories presented here are derived from policy studies and governance/institutional theory. It provides a pragmatic program to design spatial policies and to act on agreed decisions based on the context in which planning takes place. The book touches aspects of a collaborative planning process, namely the 'hard' infrastructure, e.g., formal regulations, and the 'soft' infrastructure, e.g. community trust and informal rules, that contribute to the mobilization of resources, mutual commitment, and legitimacy for future actions. By acknowledging the role of both aspects, planners and policymakers can design a spatial policy much better to solve the pressing issue of today's society (sustainability, quality of life, etc.).