Process and Outcome Best Practices: Interviews with Exemplary Planning Practitioners

Well known planning scholar and theorist Dr. Karen Christensen, from UC Berkeley, introduces her findings from a decade of interviews with exemplary planners in the San Francisco Bay Area.

3 minute read

May 4, 2015, 5:00 AM PDT

By JPER


City Planners

Mosman Council / flickr

Blog Post by Dr. Karen Christensen

My new article, "Both Process and Outcome Essential to Planning"  (Open Access until May 30) brings the views of exemplary practicing planners to bear on a long-standing debate in planning theory. The debate concerns which should be most emphasized by planners: process or outcome. Process refers to the process the planner follows when planning, be it a rational, collaborative, or negotiating process. Outcome refers to the results when the planner has completed the planning (and implementing) process, for example a sustainable community. To answer this question, I used data collected in 119 interviews by graduate students in U.C. Berkeley's Planning & Institutions course, which I taught during the 1990s. As part of the course each student conducted the same structured interview with exemplary planners in the San Francisco Bay Area, meant to be role models. 

The interviews revealed that consistent with communicative theorists’ claims more exemplary planners are facilitators than either technicians or activists.  Moreover, the strategies most used—"build social capital" (e.g., networking) and "improve communication" (e.g., use an open process)—are particularly appropriate to consensus building.

At the same time, leading Bay Area practitioners understood planning as embedded in politics and shaped by institutions. For example, planners mentioned "intergovernmental resentments and power relations" and "direction from funding agencies." In explaining both their goals and their criteria of effectiveness planners showed themselves directed to outcomes.

Exemplary planners' strategies suit their roles and the political and organizational constraints they perceive, adopting strategies appropriate for a shared power world and asymmetric power relations. Thus, exemplary planners must take politics into account as they act as facilitators. However constrained they were, planners in the study believed they could be effective. One said "Stick to what you know to be important, bring your planning sense to that, and people will listen." On the other hand, the planners spoke about institutional constraints and uneven power relations. One said that the hardest lesson for her to learn was to listen to the politics. Exemplary planners accept political constraints as a factor to be taken into account, rather than a barrier to be removed.

Exemplary planners describe themselves as facilitators using communication and networking strategies in institutionally constrained practice settings of unequal power. Moreover, exemplary planners are goal directed. They use process and political skills to achieve valued outcomes.

Figure 1 

These 10 years of interviews highlight that process-outcome is not necessarily a dichotomy, as different kinds of outcomes imply different kinds of processes.  For example, economists might emphasize outcomes with highest benefit-cost ratios and equity planners might emphasize community organizing. In the Portland area, a collective movement tried to find ways to combine urbanization with safeguarding rural and natural areas. Values seem to shape the line between ends and means.

Open Access via SAGE Publications until May 30, 2015:

Christensen, Karen S. “Both Process and Outcome Essential to Planning.”Journal of Planning Education and Research (2015): 0739456X14566277.

Blog Post by Dr. Karen Christensen, Professor Emerita of City and Regional Planning: http://ced.berkeley.edu/ced/faculty-staff/karen-christensen.

You Can Follow @JPER7 on Twitter or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JPERPlanning.


 [A1]


JPER

In this new series, Journal of Planning Education and Research (JPER) articles will be made available to Planetizen readers subscription free for 30 days. This is possible through collaboration between SAGE Publications and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. JPER is currently edited by Clinton Andrews and Frank Popper of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. The managing editor is Karen Lowrie ([email protected]).

Follow JPER on Twitter: @JPER7

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts

From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Aerial View of Chuckanut Drive and the Blanchard Bridge in the Skagit Valley.

Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding

The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.

March 18 - The Seattle Times

Historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles with large "Pan American Lofts" sign on side of building.

Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly

The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.

March 18 - Beverly Press

View from above of swan-shaped paddleboats with lights on around artesian fountain in Echo Park Lake with downtown Los Angeles skylien in background at twilight.

LA's Top Parks, Ranked

TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.

March 18 - TimeOut

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Write for Planetizen

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.