From survey to strategy: Twentieth century developments in western planning method

An analysis of planning method in the 20th century is, in essence, a study of the development of the planning profession and the on‐going quest of the profession to maintain social relevance and disciplinary legitimacy. That quest has required of planning that it modify its methods to accommodate the changes that have occurred in society from time to time. Methodological change is found not only in the configuration of the various planning models that have been formulated over the years, but also, and importantly, in the intellectual premises that support the models. These premises can be construed as dichotomous (or dualistic) in two senses. Firstly, the philosophical underpinnings that have been attached to planning method have at various times been drawn from either empiricist/positivist or rationalist epistemologies. Secondly, planning method has been perceived as a decision‐making modus having practical applicability in the real world or, alternatively, as a model located in the field of theory (procedural theory). Based on this dual perspective, the paper reviews various seminal contributions to the field of planning method from the time of the Geddesian survey‐before‐plan procedure to the cyclical strategic choice process. The paper seeks to show that, historically, the prerequisite for planning has been access to tenable methods which are responsive to the needs of society.

Notes

John Muller is Head of the Department of Town and Regional Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He was previously Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at that University and is a past President of the South African Institute of Town and Regional Planners. This paper is part of a larger research project on procedural theory which is to be published in book form shortly.