Comparison of Current Planning Theories: Counterparts and Contradictions Barclay M. Hudson with comments by Thomas D. Galloway and Jerome L. Kautt synoptic, oF ratbnal comprehensive planning tradition, a3 well Bin other, countervailing theories that have at- tempted to fll specie deScienies in the synoptic ‘waition. The chef problem ofthe synoptic approach Sppeats tobe is lopuided application due tote dif feulties of simultaneously binging to bear other Each tradition ch has ls own Forsake ofa place to sae pl 25 Toresght in formblaung and implementing pro- {rams and polices” The overall purpose of this rice io replace this unary defation by defining ‘nore specif categories of planning. some of them Corrplemeniary, and some of them contaditory 03 Segre thaesercely permis an umbrella meaning of planing. ‘The fist secon of the ance presents a simple lasifcadon of planning wadidons. The second see: tion provides general Set of descriptive enters for Placing theories and pracces. No single tradition of Daring can do everything, and the lit of era fers as 2 framework to compare the relative ‘srexgsand imitations of diferen approaches. The ‘tuna eeflect some timeless debates in the Beld of plating” why 1 plan, and how; for whom, and Sy ‘whom, Major issesofthistype are brief dass in oneeion with the ereria proposed. ‘Toe concluding eeuon sugges some implications for slnning theory. pracic. nd farther empirical ‘esearch: the need for more sjitematc comparative UG of sifferent planning approaches: the relive "aly of different tradtons to cifferencseings and robles he internal caheatvenes ofeach paraigin ihregatd to methods, profesional grouping, and ‘A fvespart clasifcation of planing traditions it discussed under the heuriste rubric of SITAR, Covering the Synoptic, Incremental, Transactive, ‘Advocacy, and Radical schools of planing thought. (Comparison is made oftheir ative strengths and revealing a Is Uiully necessary for arriving a valid, three: dimensional perspectives on social inues and ppropriate action implications. social philosophies: che nature of resinances to parallel or mived we of diverse theories in tandem: {nd the extent of harmony or bee antagonism mong the various tadions, both in theory and protic, Bases for a classification scheme If planning conus of “foresight in formulating and implementing programs and polices.” then pane fers were cleaty in evidence 000 years ago when King Hammurabi cuted the lve of Babylonia 1 be carved on sone. Typical problems of «wenteth onary inning have had thei ounterpars through uthistary, and professionals have been thereto vlve them—ia urban design and public works programs: in regulation of coinage and trade: in foreign policy Sd military defense: in foreeating the fotore 2nd preparing agunst calamity; in pushing back geo. Tithe, oar isin Ping Pagans UCLA, ee cn yell tne pc lg nt Sea cpt ct kag pak dt Fou ag Feprinted by permission ofthe Journal of the American Planning Asscciation, Vol 25, ‘ho. 4, October 1979.raphical frontiers and laying down transportation Fetworks; and in devising laws for prevention of Giaeas and disorder, ‘To understand planning, one has 1 lok forthe few abiding prnciles that underlie all purpose action The apparent civerity is mainly a mater labeling and packaging, wih subtle diferenes tha are often exaggerated to achieve what sale people are always seeking "product differensaion {hac ll ep sell the particular product each planner hast offer For example, what yesterday was PPBS today is MBO (management by objectives, oF ZBB (aeresased budgeting), oF GAA (gealsachievement naa), or lgtame (logial framework program: ‘ning) PPBS (he Panning Programming Budgeting Sten) is often cued as originating during Word War Ilasa meses for allocating saree resources for the war eff. Other claim it goes back othe azo Indumy in an ener decade, Similar, beeficest nalts cine to prominence in pubic polis making tring dhe sien. vet played on importa role planning he canal tem in the Ainerean Northesst, fs cay ar the 18302, Nor wat that be any means the Bist time snyone had added up cost and bene Bus of seuing on 3 proposal. Private businessmen and entrepreneurs were doing that long before Adam ‘Smith Almose any form of tvesiment is & form 3 planning. Cle, then. planning covers too much terior to be mapped with clear boundaries, Te overlaps far Ingo te tera of other professions. and is Fromere expand conunually with the hstrisl evolition 3 focal problems to be solved, The way to grap 2 Tayoutof the planing Bld i nt by reconnonerng fromthe periphery, bucby drawing demarcation lines radiating! out from the mott familar crovtoads tt the eater In other words, one needs 3 clasfit: tion scheme that vil highlight ‘comparative. dic Uinctions among current planning traditions without neces pining down thei farther limits ‘umber of dasifcation schemes might sere precede theories versus aibantvesheores (igh {ower 1969; Faludi 197Sb!, oF elgondme vers lunes—tat is, standardized problemacling ver: sus exploratory search procedures® Another way of Categarizng the Bld reflects different over of Ale and profesional laure, enaling our major areas of concern: the tadldon of ratonalism, ore {anitaional development theory, empirical tudes of lanning practice. and pilorophical rathesierelaeg fo bread theories of social structural change (Fried smann and Hudson 1974)? These four “iterary radians” receive fay Balanced stenion at he level of planning theory, but in planning prac, some fr outweigh the others. Panning efor in he eld ately make overt reference to philosophic ‘yathert or organisational deeloponen theory, ner is much axcrion given to lesions of historical ex evince based on eave studies of pat planning ef forts Instead. predominant concern has gener centered on te tradion of rational comprehen Planning, alo known asthe synopetradion, Because of is pre-eminence, the synoptic 1 dicion serves a the centerplece In the cnsieaton seneme tobe developed below. The nope apprach fas dominated both American planning practice en the planning of development assance progsins overteas, The approach i well wed to the hind of mandate betowed on government agencies: ase of fonsrained objectives, a budget, and sceountabliy for notalloing one to stray 00 fat out of line fom the other. “There are, however, several other counterpie school of planning, most of which ake their pant of departae from the limite of the synoptic ap broach. The most important of there other taditns Include inert planing, trenactoe planing adeeeary planing, and Yad! planning. These by ‘means cahaus the range of contemporary plating Uadons butthey cover enough ground lait Uh major developments in planning theory and pic See ave naughty 1060, develnpmneny chch bine [grown up in fesponse to recognized dents a the synoptic approach Each of the ve traditions to be considered tat an imernally consistent, seleinforcing network of ‘methods, data requirements, professional shila ‘orking nylex Each hor is Ov epistemology or {alldang information and i own tnitutonal ling for pug ides into prac, Each perceses, the’ publle inst in is own way, reflecting pardcular atesment of human nate and ks on fense of the legitimate range of itervensons ia Social, economic, and poiieal processes The fre ‘tadiions vil be reviewed bref im corn, Princ similares ae diferences wil then be dacused 9 {erms of several descriptive criteria which have be ‘chosen to highight her relauve strengths and west ewes, their aes of complementarinest, and ther point of fundamental antagonism. ‘Synoptle planing Srnoptic planing, oF the rational comprehens approach, ithe dominant tadion, and the pit of Geparure for most other planning. approach. Sshich repretet either modifeadont of symopHe ‘tionality or racions agai ‘Synopuc planing hat roughly four danical ee sens (1) gostseting, (2) idenuifeadon of polit Aernadves, (evaluation of means against dh tnd (#) implementation of decisions. The process fot always underaken in thir requence, and 21 {age permits muliple ieralons, feedback. lop tnd. caboraion of subprocesses. For examPevaluation can const of procedures such as benef series of contltations” (Horvat 1972, p_ 200). This mm | Sat analy, operations research systems analy, fd foreetng research, Looking dover x forecast ing. one finds that can be broken down io termine: mode (tend extrapolation. econo: Srecie modeling, cuvefiting through muliple ee ifresion analyst), oF probabliste models (Sorte Eo methods, Markov chains, simulation programs Berean meinoc) or jdgnenal appronches (Deh fechigue,seenseo woking eronsimpact matces) “Synopti planning types looks a problems From a ser Hewpoist using coneepessl or mathe traal models relating ends (objectives) t0 means {revourees and constraint) with heavy Fliance on hambers and quantitative ana ‘Despite he capacity for great methodaogial re foement and eboraton. the teal power of the Sreopu approach is ks baie simplicty. The Fundamental inuer addrevted ends, means, wade bff acvoraking enter to virtually any planning Endeavor, Akernssve school of planning ea nitgick ithe mehedologa shoruansags of the sy0opie pprsch. or challenge is parclar historical p> Pesons, or ake nue with ts Greumserbed Lgl, Fe the pratal ats ft encompasses must be ad {reed insome frm by even sow adamant res Forthis reason, cher ea wurtained daleeal tension fetueen synaptic planning and each of the other Counterpart theories: neither side of the debate eels ‘ommorabl wth ts oppose, yet they cannot de with: foreach other Each helps define the other By i Sie shortcoming: each sharpens the other ie tiinator edge of ntenons and accomplishments Incremental planning | chief spokesperton forthe incremental planing approach i Charles Lindblom, who describes 38 Sparinan mutual adjustment” or “disjoimed incre ‘Renal Cetkuing the synoptic approseh at un- Feil. he steses that poy decors are beter Understood, and better arrived interms cf the push nd tug of evabished institutions that are adept at ing things done through decentralized bargaining Proeret bert nite toa ee mathetand ademocratic Poli economy. A good ilustrauon of Incremental Panning the apocryphal interview ofa Yugodavian ‘fal who was asked to describe his country's most lnporaan planning instrument. After 2 pause for ‘hough the ofl Fepbed, "he ephone” Yugoaia Infact representa bend of ynopuc and incremental 2pproaches. promulgates national plans through 2 Federal Panning Buren, butthe county s economic 2d planning systems are composed of autonomous, faltgorerning. working organizations. Plans are Constructed by 2 mista of “intuion, experience fale of thumb, various techniques (rarely sophie ‘ated known tindvidul planners, and am endless desrpdon igh apply to planting anche cern the word's alt Leblom els be tence ot muddling rough” "The ce for ncremencal planning derives fom seve of rca leveled a synopraonaly Intemihgy co exining inucuonl performances “Spb: reduce eptemolgy fare coappreate te cogve lint of den ale ‘hrcanot“opimit: bat ony “safe” che by ‘Netennesppronimaton. Increments ao ke itue wih th yoopcetadhion of expresing socal ‘ales prio! gotlacting, aac eparation of nds toot mek presumpuon of «gener publ interes ruber than plain ere) Heal, Iyoopie planing i cid forks bs ovard ail coal the dehon of problems and Shion tm th exlunon of aerate and in he implementon of decane. "Pree cts are refed in he countraling tendencies of incremental planing. bata in he Chron Patsy ap route ne etn ‘Transactive planing “The tranatve planning approach focuses on he inwact experience Of peop iver revealing policy ines to be addresied: Panning isnot eavied out th espe an anonymou target community of eneficaren but in facewofice contact withthe peopl affected by deciions, Panning consis les of End veya and’ data analyen.and'more of incr fperonal dalgue marked by a proce of mutual ening “Tramacive planning alo refers to the evolution of decentalied panning instaions that ep people {Ske lneeasingcontl ver the social procenes that govern thei welfire. Pinning tv not een a8 24 Speraion separated from ther forms socal ain. ‘hr rather a process embedded in continual evolu. tion of idea validated through action (Friedmann 138), Tncontratiincrementl planning. moreempasis is gven to process of perioral and organizational development and noun the achievement of prac nol objecnes Pan are esusted ot mere inerms of what they do for people through Slvery goods and services, ot interns a the plan f= fecton people ~on heir dignity and sense of effecve- tet their values and behavior ther apace for {rove through cooperation theisptofgnerst By contrast, incremenial planning adheres more ‘loy to the econors logc of indhiduas pursuing the one slimes ‘Advocacy planning “The advocacy planing movement grew up inthe sites rooted nadverany procedures modelled upon