The impact of actor-relational dynamics on integrated planning practice

Abstract

Integrated planning processes involve an increasing number of actors and aim to create synergy between multiple knowledges in communicative settings. Planning research has acknowledged that the actor-relational aspects of planning processes are not yet adequately understood, and that methods to reveal the ofteninvisible dynamics and their possible effects over time require development. This research aims at developing a methodological contribution for revealing the socio-communicative complexities of integrated planning processes, by focusing on the aspects of knowledge co-creation and process memory development. Actorrelational dynamics are explored through social network analysis and qualitative methods, using longitudinal data from a four-year strategic spatial planning process in the Finnish context. The findings indicate that a range of actor-relational dynamics affect the level of sectoral and scalar integration over time, and that social complexities have an essential role in enabling knowledge co-creation and process memory development. Unveiling actor-relational dynamics is a promising research direction, requiring new methods for bridging research and practice, and re-centring the need for understanding planning practice on the actor-relational level.

Planning for Adaptation? Examining the Planning Integration for Hazard Risk Reduction

“…In social network analysis, constructed networks help scholars interpret how individuals and groups interact to affect certain social events or vice versa [42][43][44]. The analysis of relationships and network structures opens possibilities to address limitations of differently constructed networks evident from the patterns [41,45].…”

“…Plan integration is a practice wherein planners review and incorporate existing planning policies into the planning process for new planning policy. Plan integration oversees the available planning resources locally [42,53]. For our analysis, the network of plans directs our focus on advancing the knowledge and implantation of inclusive planning policies in each local An actor's betweenness centrality defines the shortest paths between all pairs of actors that pass through the actor of interest [41].…”

Identifying, nurturing and empowering alternative mobility narratives

“…Expansive learning, together with power shifts, often implies a highly emotional state for all the actors in the affected networks. Thus, inter-and intra-organisational learning cannot lead to powerful changes if the need to cater for complex emotional states in these relational networks of people is neglected ( Eräranta & Mladenovi ć, 2021 ).…”

Learning to plan? Knowledge framework and plan quality assessment dimensions for developing transport planning practice in South-East Europe

“…Finally, we hope that this research opens new pathways for action that could tie into the ongoing SUMP development, hand in hand with changes in education, practice, and research activities. Further research in SEE region should focus more on understanding flows of knowledge in planning processes [10,11], the role that power and politics have directly or indirectly on planning [61,62], and closer collaboration between academia and planning practicioners, especially in the form of action-research [63].…”

“…Due to the importance of planning practice for public agencies in SEE countries, our starting premise is that planning knowledge is one of the most critical pillars of institutional evolution. Thus, in addition to many other dimensions of planning practice, this research argues that we need to take into account that planning is a practice of organizational learning and knowledge cocreation [9][10][11]. Despite a plethora of previous research in urban planning that emphasizes that planning is a practice of knowing [12], transport planning theory lacks the formulation of knowledge and learning among its central components, as well as accompanying methods for knowledge and learning assessment.…”