Understanding is what planners do – Towards a hermeneutic perspective on planning practice and research

Abstract

Spatial planning is inherently oriented towards the future. However, the future cannot be explained, but can only be anticipated through understanding. Therefore, understanding is identified as the central epistemic orientation in planning practice, which enables planners to anticipate the future in the first place. The article aims to (1) distinguish between explaining and understanding, (2) give an outlook on why the often cited gap between theory and practice can be traced back to these two basic epistemic orientations and (3) develop new concepts that enable understanding processes in planning practice to be studied from a research perspective.