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Abstract
Planners' technical expertise has evolved from architectural-engineering bases to include socio-economic and environmental issues, as well as communication methods and participatory procedures. This progress challenges professional practices and educational programmes, and produces a looser image of the planner, in contrast with that of engineers and architects. After an analysis of how technical paradigms have evolved in the planning discipline in Italy, the paper focuses on the emerging types of expertise that are expected to form the planner's ‘toolbox’. This requires linking the discipline's progress with that of the professional practice, as well as connecting the legal framework with the educational system. The paper concludes by analysing the different kinds of technical expertise, taking into consideration the diverse roles played by planners.
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Acknowledgements
The author is grateful to two anonymous referees for their helpful comments and suggestions on an earlier version of the article.
Notes
†A preliminary version of the paper was presented at the 26th AESOP Congress, Ankara, 11-15 July 2012.