Writing the Planner

Abstract

Planning theories are theories of action. Consequently, theorists are compelled not just to specify the activities that comprise practice, but also to write the planner who will carry out these actions. That is, they must address the identity of their planners. This paper explores Leonie Sandercock's postmodernism and John Forester's communicative action in search of how identity is written and integrated into their respective arguments. The search leads to a reconsideration of three dilemmas in planning theory: the tension between redistribution and recognition, the relative importance of consciousness and consequence, and the interaction of interpersonal relations and institutional structures.