Patrick Geddes

Theory of
Evolution in
Cities
(Biologist, sociologist, geographer and Town Planner)

Presented by:
Bhanu Pratap Singh (11/PUR/002)
Subodh Dobhal (11/PUR/003)
(Masters in Urban & Regional Planning)
Gautam Buddha University
(Gr. Noida) India

Domain of planning
theory

Dealswithideasandargumentsrelatedtotheconductof
planning
Aimstoprovidesomeoverallorgeneralunderstandingof
thenatureofplanning

Whatsortofactivityisplanning?
Whatshoulditaimtodo?
Whatareitseffectsonsociallife?
Whatareitseffectsonurbanmorphologyandfunction?
Whatarethecomponentsofgoodqualityurbanenvironments?
Underwhatconditionsarethesequalitiesmostlikelytobe
realised?
Whatpartcanplanningplayincreatingbetter/liveablecities?

Baseline modernism

form
purpose
design
hierarchy
mastery/theword/logos
totalization/synthesis
centring
meta/grandnarratives
determinacy
transcendence
metaphysics

Utopian
comprehensiveness
planningasaphysicaland
technicalact,anextensionof
architectureandcivil
engineering
masterplans(e.g.UKTown
andCountryPlanningAct
1947;TasmanianTownand
CountryPlanningAct,1945
keyconcernwithaesthetics
(setofprinciplesofgood
tasteandappreciationof
beauty)

 theartandscienceoforderingtheuseoflandandthe
characterandsitingofbuildingsandcommunicativeroutes
Planningdealsprimarilywithland,andisnot
economicsocialorpoliticalplanning,thoughitmay
greatlyassistintherealisationoftheaimsoftheseother
kindsofplanning(Keeble1952,1).

Survey-Analysis-Plan

SirPatrickGeddes(18541932)
GardenCityadvocateinScotland
CitiesinEvolution,1915
calledforthecompletionofa
complexcitysurveyoflocaland
regionalconditions(including
physical,social,culturaland
historical)thatshouldprecedeany
planningeffortsbylocalgovernment
boards(LeGatesandStout1996,
360)

Inshort,passableTownPlanningSchemes
maybeobtainedwithoutthispreliminary
SurveyandExhibitionwhichwedesiretosee
ineachtownandcity;butthebestpossible
cannotbeexpected.Fromtheconfusedgrowth
oftherecentindustrialpast,wetendtobeasyet
easilycontentedwithanyimprovements;this,
however,willnotlongsatisfyus,andstillless
oursuccessors.ThisActseekstoopenanew
andbetterera,andtorenderpossiblecities
whichmayagainbebeautiful:itproceedsfrom
HousingtoTown(Extension)Planning,andit
thusraisesinevitablybeforeeachmunicipality
thequestionoftownplanningatitsbestin
factofcitydevelopmentandcitydesign
(Geddes1915,inLeGatesandStout1996,
363).

Survey-AnalysisPlan

Physical planning
Reflectedcertainvalues
underpinnedby
utopian
comprehensiveness
Anti/prourban
aestheticismintension
highlyorderedviewof
urbanstructure
assumedconsensusover
theaimsofplanningas
technicalexercise

Physical planning
Latercriticisedfor

Hubris
Poorquality
Socialblindness
Physical
determinism
Lackofempirical
grounding
Naivete

Rational
systems

Late1960snewsystemsapproach
Planningsystemsanalysisandcontrol
Environmentinterconnectedsystemofparts
Capableofbeingorganized
Capableofbeingoptimized

Indebtedtocybernetics(scienceofsystemsofcontrol
andcommunicationsinanimalsandmachines)
McLoughlin1969,UrbanandRegionalPlanninga
systemsapproach
Chadwick1971,ASystemsViewofPlanning
Faludi1973,PlanningTheory
Bruton1974,SpiritandPurposeofPlanning

 Partswholeconnections
interdependence
Locationtheory
Dynamismandchangenotmaster
plansandblueprints
Indebtedto
Firstprinciplesbasedonpurereason
Cleansweepredevelopment,
especiallyhousing,industry,roads
Kuhnsideasaboutparadigmshifts
Changesinlanduseandtransport
activities
Globalizationandtheriseinpowerof
theMNCs/TNCs
Demography
Ecology
Quantitativerevolution

Rational
systems

 Systematicplanningwas
substantiveplanning
(environmentalchange)
Rationalplanningwas
proceduralplanning
(processesofgoing
aboutplanning)
Bothindebtedto
scientificmethod(after
KarlPopper)

Rational
systems
Definegoals/problems
Findalternatives
Evaluatealternatives
Implementplan/policy
Monitoreffects

Rational
systems
Meansnotendsthusinstrumentalnotamodelof
substantivemoralreasoning(Taylor1998,71)
Corruptedbasedasmuchonpersuasionasprocedure
Alternativeview/critiqueLindblomdisjointed
incrementalismonlypossibleapproach
inmostsituations,planninghastobepiecemeal,
incremental,opportunisticandpragmatic,and
plannerswhodidnotorcouldnotoperateinthese
waysweregenerallyineffective(Taylor1998,71).

Backlas
h

Thebestplanisnot
alwaysthebestplan
Failureofmodernism
>urbanprotests>
challengetoutilitarian
prescriptions
(Benthamsfelicific
calculus)andlackof
distributivejustice
Ideologybehindscience
Realisation/Admission
ofthepoliticsinherent
inplanning

Backlas
h
Thequestionisnotwhetherplanningwillreflect
politicsbutwhosepoliticsitwillreflect.What
valuesandwhosevalueswillplannersseekto
implement?Inthebroadestsense[plans]
representpoliticalphilosophies,waysof
implementingdifferingconceptionsofthegood
life.Nolongercantheplannertakerefugeinthe
neutralityoftheobjectivityofthepersonally
uninvolvedscientist(N.Long1959,168).

Planning, choice and

advocacy
Reactiontorationalandsystemsplanning
Choicetheoryofplanning(PaulDavidoffandThomas
Reiner)
Planningsendsaregoalsforthefuture
Thesegoalsaredeterminedviatheidentificationofalternative
futures
Theseidealfuturesarenarroweddowntoplausibleandpossible
futures
Thisnarrowingisinherentlypolitical
Plannersshouldbeinvolvedonlyinthetechnicalelementsofthis
work

 DavidoffsrecantAdvocacy
modelofplanning
(democracyaspluralism)
Civilsocietydependsonan
informedpublic
Informedpublicderivesfrom
publicconsultation
Publicconsultationgalvanises
socialmovements

Levelsofadvocacy
Communityforums/public
meetings/focusgroups
Plannersastranslators

Levelsofparticipation
SherryArnsteinsladderof
citizenparticipation

Planning, choice and

advocacy
Citizencontrol
Delegatedpower
Partnership
Placation
Consultation

Degrees
ofcitizen
power

Degreesof
tokenism

Informing
Therapy
manipulation

Non
participation

Rapprochement or
resentment
Politicalclaimsaccommodated
procedurallyviaconsultation
iftheplanningpowersinvolvedin
planpreparationandplan
implementationareessentially
powerstopreventthenthe
actualdevelopmentwhichdoes
takeplacedependsonthe
developers(Pickvance1977,70)
Stillcriticized(egHall,
Friedmann)for
Tokenism
Paternalism
Incompleteanalysis

Capital

Thestate

Theplanner

Thepeople

Radical alternatives
Marxist/leftistviewsofthepoliticaleconomyandplanning
Historicalmaterialism
Modesofproduction(privateownershipofmeansofproduction
andexchange)
Socialrelationsofproduction
Socialrulesandlaws(informalinstitutionalrules)
Systemsofpowerandpolitics(formalinstitutionalrules)

Powerashegemonic(Gramsci,Foucault)
Radicalplanningtheoristsviewedcapitalismasan
(imperfectly)integratedeconomicandsocialsystem,in
whichthestateandplanningwerepartandparcel(Taylor
1998,105).

 Planningisnecessarytotherulingclassinorderto
facilitate[capital]accumulationandmaintainsocial
controlinthefaceofclassconflict.Themodesbywhich
urbanplannersassistaccumulationincludethe
developmentofphysicalinfrastructure,landaggregation
anddevelopment,containmentofnegativeenvironmental
externalities,andthemaintenanceoflandvaluesUrban
plannersspecializeinmanagingthecontradictionsof
capitalismmanifestedinurbanformandspatial
development(FainsteinandFainstein1979,1489).

Radical
alternativ
es

 thosewhoconsciouslyseek
toredistributepower,
resources,orparticipation
awayfromlocalelitesand
towardpoorandworkingclass
cityresidents(Krumholzin
Sandercock1998,93)
WithJohnForester,Making
EquityPlanningWork(1990)
Stateandcapitalreconstituted
ascapableofcapturebythose
interestedindistributive
justicenegotiatedsettlements

Equity
planning

Communicative action - or what

happened to implementation?
Planningslimitedsuccessthe
implementationdeficit
Misconstrual
Planningcomesbeforeaction
Planningisnotaction
(Aweaknessofthepolicycycle
moregenerally)

Friedmannstheoriesof
communicativeaction(praxis?)
Theproblemofaction
Theproblemofthequalityofaction
Rationalaction?

plan

action

Communicative action - or what

happened to implementation?
Publicpolicy
implementation
Abilitytoidentifyactors
needed
Capacitytoestablishcontacts
andnetworks
Capacitytonegotiategiven
multiple[andoftentacit]
agenda
Policyresideswithinaction

Communicativeactionas
multipleflowsratherthan
linearstagesofconsultation

plan

action

Communicative action and then...

Habermastheoryofcommunicativeaction
Effectivecommunication

Comprehensible/intelligible
Truth/veracity
Sincere
Legitimate

Normativeidealforparticipatoryprocessesinplanning
Notebasicagreementamongalltheforegoingabout
socialdemocracyandthen...

New right - No plan

Decentralization
Privatization
Market
Minimalgovernment
Nosocietyonlyindividuals
Noplanningthecommonlaw,
privatecovenantsandnotionalland
usezoning(e.g.UKEnterprise
Zones)
Regimeandregulationtheories
Microandmacroeconomicreform
Efficiencies,competitiveneutrality

(Post)modern
refrains?
Movefromgrandnarrativestoproblemcentredplanning

Innercitydeclineurbanregeneration
Economicboomsocialinequalities
Ecologicalcrisissustainabledevelopment
Urbanuglinessurbandesign
Statecontrolpublicparticipation

Twomajorshifts
Designscience
Plannersastechniciansplannersas(social)scientists
Weretheseparadigmaticshifts,however?