Complexity, Responsibility and Care: An Intertwined Perspective on Planning

Abstract

The search for a good planning theory to underpin just and effective practice, and thereby narrow the growing gap between theory and practice, has been central to literature on planning since the mid-twentieth century. This paper brings together three seemingly unrelated urban planning perspectives and shows that combining them could provide a complete, feasible approach to planning. Complexity theory offers code-based planning regulations appropriate for multi-agent urban dynamics. The responsibility model contributes negotiation-based decision-making suitable for situations with multiple agents. Ethics of care outlines how to evaluate planning tools and policies in ways that dignify all human agents.