Planning Theory & Practice

Land policy aim setting in Finnish municipalities. Municipal land policy is increasingly expected to respond a range of objectives, from local affordable housing provision to meeting broader sustainability agendas, and these objectives may often be in conflict. Examining a case of Finnish municipalities, Pauliina Krigsholm synthesizes six ‘rationality criteria’ that are used to characterize the quality of policy enactment. She shows how higher-level national aims, such as those related to global sustainability agendas, may appear in local policies, but how ultimately, locally-embedded motives tend to be operationalized more fully. Check it out, #OpenAccess, here: https://lnkd.in/epdvVrs8

Ableism and Participatory Design. An article by Lindsay Stephens, PhD, MScPl, Iris Epstein, Melanie Baljko, Hilda Smith, PhD examines micropolitics to understand the strategies of resistance used to counter ableist power structures. They suggest three considerations for planners and facilitators of participatory processes to reduce barriers to equitable participation: (1) identify communication norms; (2) consider processes of identity formation; and (3) recognize and disrupt dominant narratives. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/e3B-Vj3f Note: This article is not open-access, but authors are often happy to share copies if contacted~

So excited to share that my latest paper is out at Planning Theory and Practice journal. It is a commentary on the role of Institutionalism in Patsy Healey's inspiring reconceptualization of planning theory and practice, as first set out in her book "Collaborative Planning: shaping places in fragmented societies" published in 1997. Patsy was a wonderfully generous mentor and a major inspiration, so I feel honoured to have been invited to contribute to the PTP special issue celebrating her work. Thank you Patsy! https://lnkd.in/g66nmU4C https://lnkd.in/gyBv_wQp

A new planning system in Ukraine. In their recent article Oleksandr A., Maria Smirnova, and Ievgeniia Dulko document the changes in Ukraine's planning system leading up to a critical juncture in 2020. This critical juncture moved Ukraine away from a post-soviet path-dependence, instead layering on new regulations that changed the functioning of their planning system. How did this happen? This article introduces and applies an integrated framework of the components of institutional transformation that includes three stages: building up to a critical juncture, deliberation inside the critical moment, and the resulting change. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/efM56sPE

With the rise of generative AI tools and the use of words in brazenly untruthful ways by rising right-wing ideologues, what do words mean anymore? What does the production of words mean? Theo Lim muses on these questions for planning practice, research, and education in an editorial for Volume 25, Issue 5 of Planning Theory & Practice. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/e7VN7rs8

Industrial Lands. This Interface collection, edited by Carl Grodach and Tali Hatuka considers how planners can/should view industrial lands. They say, "Meaningful attention to the diversity of industrial land and activity is often missing from contemporary planning reports and urban policy recommendations. This is striking given the role and influence of industry on climate change and social equity." Interface collections are a unique format to Planning Theory and Practice that aim to promote exchange between academic researchers and planning practitioners. They are always free and #OpenAccess. Check out this Interface, here: https://lnkd.in/e4wfvNuK Contributions by: Carl Grodach, Tali Hatuka, Jessica Ferm, Alura Danan Vincent, Elif Merve Nal?akar, Olgu Caliskan, and Robin A. Chang, PhD.

Populism and planning. In her article "Populism, Planning, and the Politics of Discontent" Harriet Dunn conducts an in-depth case study of populist mobilization in an urban-rural municipality in Sweden. Dunn shows how the state is reframed as a "guardian" of the public interest to redefine planning as supporting conservatism, rather than as a means for transformative change. Check out this very timely article, available #OpenAccess here: https://lnkd.in/gNM2wZie

Just Energy Transitions. The latest Interface collection, edited by Fayola Helen Jacobs, Elise Harrington, and Ward Lyles, gathers a diverse group of contributions, each speaking to different aspects of energy transition. The pieces are arranged in paired articles around topics: informal settlements in the Global North, unjust capture of energy transition benefits, extraction-dependent communities, finance and debt, and the role of AI in the energy transition. Interface articles are a unique format to Planning Theory & Practice and are meant to provide a venue for exchange connecting theory and practice. They are always published free and open access. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gj8_JUKm Contributions by: Sergio Tirado Herrero, Carolina Yacamán-Ochoa, Ulpiano Ruiz-Rivas, Jorge Martínez-Crespo, Ariadna Reyes-Sánchez, Josh Newton, Evan Mistur, Neelakshi Joshi, Tariro Kamuti, PhD., Elisa Arond, Claudia Strambo, Jose Antonio Vega Araujo, Garret Zastoupil, PhD, Miriam Solis, Dalia Vazquez, Lourdes Flores, Salma Elmallah, Veronica Jacome, and Mennatullah Hendawy

Generative Artificial Intelligence. In the latest editorial article in Planning Theory & Practice, Lisa K. Bates discusses ethical and material reasons for rejecting the use of AI: that computers can never be held accountable, and that the water and energy resources needed to run generative AI-based algorithms ought to make us think twice simply accepting their use. Editorial articles in Planning Theory & Practice are used for editorial team members to comment on topics on their minds. They also introduce the pieces included in each issue of the journal. Dr Bates' editorial kicks off issue 25(4). Editorial articles are always free and open access. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/efrzwx2Q

Wondering about the "Interface" section of our journal? We created a short video (starring Dr Lisa Bates!) explaining this unique article type. Interfaces collect shorter pieces by multiple authors on a central topic. They are meant to promote increased dialogue between planning theoreticians and researchers and planning practitioners, and are a format unique to Planning Theory and Practice. Interface collections are also a great way to get new ideas out fast and promote collaboration. For junior scholars especially, guest editing an Interface collection can demonstrate intellectual leadership. Dr Bates is the lead editor for the Interface section of Planning Theory and Practice. Interface articles are always free and Open Access! https://lnkd.in/eHc5RkXe