Planning as storytelling

Abstract

Planning, in essence, is a set of future-oriented activities where individuals and groups organize their current understandings of their circumstances in order to be better prepared for the future. Whether we are aware of it or not, all of us plan constantly. Planning is not a set of activities that is related to one’s chronological age or activities that are restricted to the human species. We could say that planning is hardwired into our psyche. Yet, in the United States, there is considerable skepticism and wariness about the role of planning in/for the public realm; many people believe that planning infringes on individual property rights while others believe that planning creates new and onerous regulations that inhibit growth and development. In resource-poor communities, planning is viewed as an enterprise that only serves the interests of the wealthy and powerful. When elected officials engage in conversations about planning, they are often feted by some sections of the electorate while being simultaneously vilified by others. Our society’s ambivalence toward planning places limits the kinds of projects, programs, and policies that local governments can pursue. This chapter uses the complex issue of climate change to discuss how our society seems paralyzed to act on a collective (and some would argue, an imminent) global threat. Much has been written about the data deluge and the complexities and controversies surrounding climate science. Everyday people are often paralyzed by the volume of information that comes their way and thus tend to ignore most of it. We argue that planning practitioners can play an important role as educators, mediators, and facilitators – explaining the short- and long-term consequences of human-induced climate change to multiple publics. Planners also provide guidance (outside of regulations and mandates) about how to balance between and among competing interests to create a viable set of actions to prepare and plan for, and adapt to, the impacts of climate change. This is a context-setting chapter that prepares practitioners to better understand the different roles that they can/should play in order to create successful and sustainable societal change. In order to be effective in their chosen profession, planning practitioners need to acquire a variety of skills and techniques and learn how to apply them appropriately.