Flexibility in Dutch local Planning
Year: 2012

Nr. I. Goals u aids to justification. Some implications for rational planning. This paper examines the role of goals in the planmaking process. It begins with a critical review of a number of approaches to planmaking, from which it is concluded that the main role of goals lies in the justification of plans, rather than in their design. A further conclusion is that it is preferable to see the planmaking process as flexible and iterative, rather than as linear and with goals defined rigidly at the outset. These conclusions have implications for the idea of Rational Planning, and of a Rational Deductive Planning Process. It is suggested that the deductive model of explanation in science has as its aim to present an event as what should be rationally expected. It follows that a Rational Planning Process need not describe the way in which planning proceeds, but rather represents a vehicle by which choices can be justified. Goals And their main role in justiflcation, because to justify proposals it is necessary to demonstrate that your plans may reasonably be expected to achieve what they are intended to achieve. This concept of justiflcation, with its implications for the form of the planmaking process, is a simple one to comprehend it is also fundamental to an appreciation of the role of goals in planmaking; to an awareness of how planners actually go about producing plans; and to an understanding of the nature of the Rational Planning Process. Nr. 2. The nature and purpose of comparative planning. This working paper contains edited versions of the papers presented at the first Delft seminar on Comparative Planning in May 1974. The first paper, by Frans Vonk, describes experiences and problems encountered in a multinational research project in urban planning in the North West European Megalopolis. This is followed by a paper on 'The Development of Comparative Research' by Stephen Hamnett, which suggests that there is evidence of a 'natural history' of comparative studies in other discipUnes, and which argues for comparisons to be made against explicitly stated frameworks. In the third paper, Andreas Faludi discusses possible topics for comparative research to be conducted from Delft, emphasing the need for pragmatism. Finally, Patsy Healy warns against the dangers of functionaUsm and makes a plea for middle range theories in a paper entitled 'Towards Comparative Planning Studies' Nr. 3. Education for urban and regional planning the British experience. During the last ten years there has been a rapid expansion in the provision of planning education in Great Britain. At the same time there have been many changes and developments in both the practice and discipline of planning. This working paper attempts to trace the development of planning education in Britain and to identify those factors which have the greatest influence on this development. The paper ends with a description of the provision of planning education at the present time and attempts to identify the differences between courses in different groups. A further paper in this series will attempt to analyse Dutch plaiming education and compare it with that in Britain. Nr. 4. Project work in education for urban and regional planning. This paper identifies the importance and potential of project work in both education generally and planning education in particular. One of the greatest strengths of planning education today is the tradition of project work, yet it is a method of teaching which has recently been receiving increasing criticism. The paper identifies the central criticisms and problems associated with project work in the British context. These problems it is argued may be overcome by the use of rigorous methods of curriculum design. The use of these methods would enable the selection of the most effective methods of teaching for particular groups of objectives and ensure that the content of project work is balanced throughout a course. Finally, it is argued that the organisations knowledge component of project work is largely lacking and that this has led to criticisms of the lack of realism in project work. The paper provides several examples of the way in which organisations knowledge may be incorporated into project programmes. It is hoped that the paper may help to promote the discussion of'project teaching in education for planning in the Netherlands and that further contributions on this subject can be published in the future. Nr. 5. De Rijks Planologische Dienst. This work presents an overview of the history of the Rijksplanologische Dienst. It begins with a description of ideas about national physical planning which existed towards the end of the 30s. It was then argued that a national (physical) plan was necessary and that an organisation was required to prepare and administer it. Proposals to this effect, made by a state commissior in 1940, are described. Next the foundation and responsabilities of a national physical planning agency set up by the German occupying power the Rijksdienst voor het Nationale Plan are described. A comparison between the original Dutch proposals and the German measures show the influence of the occupying power on the new organisation to have been greater than generaUy thought. The next two chapters give an overview of the activities which the Rijksdienst developed between 1945 and the beginning of the 60s. and of the problems resulting from the rather centralised form of planning which was aimed at. At the same time measures to solve these problems are discussed. Next the difficulties of reforming planmng legislation are discussed. These seem to stem partly from the problems of centralised plaiming and from the position of the planning agency responsible for it in relation to the central govemment agencies. The last chapter describes the changes in planning legislation occurring in 1962. and the instruments at the disposal of the now more decentralised form of planning. A short summary of the work on various pohcy statements concludes this chapter and the research paper as a whole. Nr. 6. A resume of work in the Institute for Operational Research 1963 74. This paper describes the work of the Institute for Operational Research since 1963, when it first began to apply operational research methods to the analysis of complex problems of public policy. There is an appendix which describes in detail an attempt to apply the approach known as the 'Analysis of Interconnected Decision Areas' in practical situations. Nr. 7. The social sciences in the planning curriculum. This paper discusses the social sciences in planning education. It is based on an appreciation of recent British developments. The last ten years have seen the emergence of the generalist view of the role of the planner, and its concomitant educational policy on part of the Royal Town Planning Institute as well as their subsequent modification. Based on research conducted in 1969/70, the paper interprets the situation of one of the social sciences, sociology, as a contributory skill under the generalist regime in planning schools. It then shows how, in one of them, this situation has borne within it the seeds of change towards a more integral role of sociology in the curriculum. The paper develops this into proposals for how the social sciences might be involved in a planning curriculum so as to do justice to themselves as disciplines in their own right, whilst at the same time still assisting the ends of the planning education. Nr. 8. Contextual rationality and languages for choice This working paper combines two complementary contributions: one attempting a broad review of the literature on rational,planning arriving at the conclusion that rationality in planning is only concievable within a given context, and another showing how this context, and the structure of the action space which it circumscribes, may be analysed. The latter paper is accompanied by a worked up example of a modified form of Analysis of Interconnected Decision Areas (AIDA) used by a group of students during an educational project. This serves to illustrate a point on which further discussion is needed, i.e. that planning may be viewed as the construction of a problem specific language. It is only with the help of such a language that decision makers can decide how best to solve their problem. Nr. 9. De Leiden Oxford studie: het voorbeeld Vijf Meiplein. This is a report on a case study done as part of a project comparing planning in Leiden and Oxford. The study concerns part of a shopping centre in Leiden South West built in the second half of the fifties. Next to a description of the object of study it consists of a history of the case, a first analysis of the participants and their roles, a description of the legal framework and the methods of finance. The comments at the end reflect the extent to which the author was surprised by some aspects of what he found. This surprise forms a basis for theory formation which is one of the aims of this project. Nr. 10. Ontwikkelingen in de planningthcorie. The aim of this paper is to provide insights into the structure and the practical application of planning processes. Use is made of two existing planning models by DROR and FALUDI. After discussing the development of (procedural) planning theory against the background of theory formation as such, both these models are evaluated. Finally, an effort is made to apply the insights obtained by drawing conclusions conceming planning practice. Nr. 11. Flexibility in Dutch local planning. This paper suggests that the formal rigidity of the Dutch local planning system reflects the principles of Dutch law upon which it is based. It also describes the methods which are used in practice to circumvent this rigidity and to provide the Dutch planner with the flexibiUty which he needs in the face of uncertainty on one hand and strong pressures for commitment on the other. The paper begins with a the