Bringing Power to Planning Research

Flyvbjerg, B. 2002. Bringing Power to Planning Research: One Researcher’s Praxis Story. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 2002 21:353.

Flyvbjerg speaks to what may be the major problem in planning theory – the issue of ambivalence about power as defined by Friedmann.

He illustrates the practical value of his methodology called “phronetic planning research” through an example, after discussing his own process and influential studies on power. He examines a case where he uses this praxis-oriented methodology called “phronetic planning research”.

Focus is on four value-based questions: (1) Where are we going with planning?, (2) Who gains and who loses, and by which mechanisms of power?, (3) Is this development desirable? and (4) What should be done? The author argues that his methodology has a valuable contribution to make to planning and practice.

 Notes & Quotes:

Page 4

“I found that planning, democracy, and modernity have a “blind spot” in their reflexivity regarding the relationship between rationality and power.”

“In reality, however, power often ignores or designs knowledge at its convenience. A consequence of the blind spot is that the relationship between rationality and power gets little attention in the research literature. There is a large gray area between rationality and power, which is underinvestigated.

Page 6

Planners ask the questons  from their own attitude of research. “This attitude is not based on idiosyncratic moral or personal preferences, but on a context-dependent common world view and interests among a reference group, well aware that different groups typically have different world views and different interests, and that there exists no general principle by which all differences can be resolved.”

Page 21

“What typifies a work in phronetic planning research is that for a particular area of concern it focuses analysis on praxis in answering the four value-rational questions which have given structure to this article: (1) Where are we going? (2) Who gains and who loses, by which mechanisms of power? (3) Is this development desirable? (4) What should be done?”

Answer vary, as do methods and contexts, he point is to shift to asking questions, especially about power and value-based decisions, in planning practice.

His contribution to researchers – the questions are

… points of reference for praxis in planning research. The aim is not to tell planners in the usual manner how we think they can make a difference, but to understand how we ourselves may make a difference with the work we do.