Flat Ontology and Evolving Governance: Consequences for Planning Theory and Practice

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the consequences of a flat ontology for planning theory and practice through the lens of Evolutionary Governance Theory (EGT). We present a perspective in which the ontological hierarchies assumed in planning and beyond are left behind, but also one that allows for understanding how hierarchies and binaries can emerge from and within governance and specifically planning. From this perspective, planning is conceptualised as a web of interrelated social-material systems underpinning the coordination of policies and practices affecting spatial organisation. Within this web, different planning perspectives and planning practices co-exist and co-evolve, partly in relation to the wider governance contexts of which they are part. We explore and deepen our understanding of the consequences of flat ontology by focussing on the interrelations between power and knowledge and the varied effects of materiality on planning and governance, as materiality can play roles ranging from latent infrastructure to main triggers of change. We conclude our paper by assessing the consequences for the positionality of planning in society, stressing the need for more reflexive and adaptive forms of planning and governance, and reflecting on what such forms of planning could look like. We argue that despite the abstract nature of discussions on ontology in and of planning, the conceptual shifts that result from thinking in terms of flat ontologies can significantly affect planning practices as it can inspire new ways of observing and organising.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Raoul Beunen

Raoul Beunen is an Associate Professor of Environmental Governance at the Open University, The Netherlands. His research explores the potentials and limitations of environmental policy and planning from the perspective of adaptive governance and sustainability. It focuses on innovation and evolution in governance, paying attention to the dynamics of policy implementation and integration, multi-level governance, stakeholder involvement, and the performance of institutional structures.

Martijn Duineveld

Martijn Duineveld is an Associate Professor in the Cultural Geography Group at Wageningen University and Co-director of the Centre for Space, Place and Society. His research programme is titled Urban Governance and the Politics of Planning and Design. He is a co-founder and active contributor to the emerging body of literature on Evolutionary Governance Theory. His recent research is focused on democratic innovation, conflicts and power, and materiality and object formation.

Kristof Van Assche

Kristof Van Assche is a Full Professor in Planning, Governance and Development at the University of Alberta and is affiliated with Bonn University, Center for Development Research (ZEF) and Memorial University, Newfoundland, Harris Centre for Regional Policy as a Research Fellow. He is interested in evolution and innovation in governance, with focus areas in spatial planning and design, development and environmental policy. He has worked in various countries, often combining fieldwork with theoretical reflection: systems theories, interpretive policy analysis, institutional economics, post-structuralism and others. Together with colleagues, he developed Evolutionary Governance Theory (EGT), which aims to discern realistic modes of transition and reform between social engineering and laissez faire.