Abstract
A new model of planning- is needed that can simultaneously provide direction and coordination whilst working inclusively in more complex governance settings. This requires both, reform of the formal institutions of planning, law and instruments, but also crucially the informal ‘ways of doing’ planning, the norms and practices of planners. “The New Planning Dialogue” as an initiative sought an approach to systematize the innovative planning instruments to be adapted in an appropriate manner, by creating a community of practice. "The New Planning Manifesto", presented as the case study will highlight the findings and showcase the results from the dialogues. In an era defined by climate change, huge resource consumption, a lack of social cohesion, rapidly accelerating technological innovations, economic shifts, and the transformation of political systems, solutions must be pursued at every level of action (Pahl-Weber et al. 2013). Acknowledging the critical urban challenges, in the context of high uncertainty and increased complexity, the conventional ways of design and planning as well as the available tools for implementation are no longer able to cope with. Formal planning instruments and procedures have often been unpopular and ineffective for solving complex spatial issues (Papamichail & Peric 2019). On the other hand, ‘Informal Planning’ instruments and procedures do not underlie the fixed procedures of public planning law, so that they can be designed flexibly and matched to the conditions according to the occasion, the topic or the constellation of stakeholders. This includes the possibility to revise and correct the procedure during the planning process (Pahl-Weber 2010). In its broadest sense, informal planning includes the principles of collaborative dialogue, diverse networks, trustful relationships and tailor-made processes among interested parties (Papamichail & Peric, 2019). The methodology followed was a series of practitioner debates, proved as a platform to learn and evaluate with peers concerned with the common urgencies. A dialogue format ensured the inclusivity while learning from each other’s perspectives in an explicit way. To quote H Bouwman (METREX), while laying the ‘Groundwork’ in The New Planning Dialogue, “Strategies are needed to cross the borders of politics. The government is institutionally handicapped to instrumentalize change”. Dialogue as a method was experimented as a tool to instrumentalize movement and knowledge dissemination in the planning and design practice. Tracy Metz quoted,“The New planning is a ‘movement’ that rethinks planning as a profession”. Aimed as a stimulus to operate better planning methods, The New Planning Dialogue looked at innovative ways of working between administrative scales, carrying forward the positives from traditional planning methods. Fitting appropriately within the main idea of “Planning Unlocked”, The New Planning Paradigm showcases the findings from eight dialogues between scales and subjects in the field of planning taking examples from Europe. These dialogues have successfully connected theory to practice by debating over numerous approaches and working methods, inspiring everyone and putting an emphasis on implementing projects and narratives for spatial challenges. The New Planning Paradigm is a Manifesto of the vital dilemmas reacting to global urgencies, while concentrating on Informal Planning methods. The manifesto encourages a change in the practice of spatial planning, to bolster resilience, livability and to ensure a more sustainable, integrated and inclusive development. In this report, a line of discourse on the process of interscaler planning; repositioning the planner; method of clarifying and simplifying the formal planning procedures; creating a common language to bridge the gap, to explicate what people can expect realistically will be presented. The manifesto encourages everyone to engage to take back control together, while relating to planning goals and actions to their own situation forming a deliberative democratic model towards an empowered society.
