Book Review: Planners in Politics

How can planners be more effective in politics? A new book offers planners turned executive-level politicians a chance to explain their insights.

1 minute read

June 3, 2020, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Bus Rapid Transit

Paulo Nabas / Shutterstock

Eduardo Oliveira writes a book review of Planners in Politics: Do they Make a Difference? for the European Planning Studies journal, providing the following assessment:

The book evidences that planners-acting-as-politicians can effectively shape, for example, housing policies or navigate through the stakes of private groups or opposing parties in order to develop plans or implement projects. 

According to Oliveira, the editors systematically chose their subjects and posed questions that invoked a consistent storyline in examples as varied as mitigating urban inequalities of favelas in Brazil to regional innovation strategies in Portugal to the development of Iowa's City strategic plan.

Each chapter is penned by a planner that transitioned to an executive-level politician, like Jaime Lerner, for example. According to Oliveira, each of the contributors detailed how they achieved change in their communities.

Thursday, May 21, 2020 in European Planning Studies

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today