In this review of the new book "The Trouble with City Planning", Joe Berridge finds that maybe the great thing about planning is its ability to deal with all its contradictions.
In Kristina Ford's new book The Trouble with City Planning: What New Orleans Can Teach Us she recounts her time as the Director of Planning in New Orleans, and the stages of abortive planning the city went through following Hurricane Katrina, from New Urbanist idealism to fatalism. Reviewer Joe Berridge, Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners finds that she doesn't really identify what the "trouble" is exactly:
"'What exactly she sees as 'the trouble' is a bit elusive however. Sometimes there is not enough community consultation, sometimes too much. Political direction is essential, but planners need to be insulated from political interference. Planners' professional training is an asset, because it brings objectivity to an urban issue, but it is riddled with un-admitted assumptions. All true, but the great skill of good city planning is to live with all these contradictory notions and still know what to do."
FULL STORY: New Orleans Really is Sinking

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

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Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane
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Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
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