Narratives of power: Bringing ideology to the fore of planning analysis

Abstract

This Special Issue starts from the premise that the concept of ideology holds significant analytical potential for planning but that this potential can only be realised if ideology is brought to the fore of analysis. By naming ideology and rendering it visible, we hope to bring it out from the shadows and into the open to examine its value and what it can tell us about the politics of contemporary planning. The articles in this Special Issue therefore seek to contribute to established academic debates by exploring some of the ways ideology can be deployed as a tool in the analysis of planning problems. This article introduces the Special Issue by exploring the various accounts in the articles of (1) what ideology is; (2) what its effects are; (3) where ideology may be identified and (4) what different theories of ideology can tell us about planning. There inevitably remain many un-answered questions, paths not taken and debates left unaddressed. We hope other scholars will be inspired (or provoked) to address these omissions in the future.

Urban and Spatial Planning: Pragmatic Considerations for Plan Implementation Improvements (A Case Study of the City of Bor)

“…Similar to the results based on the City of Bor case study, contemporary studies show that deficiencies in legislation, inefficient definitions, and unclearly defined time frames for certain phases in planning all lead to unsuccessful plan implementation (Bengston & Youn, 2006;Zanotto, 2020). Planning, as the concept and practice, is estimated to still hold strong political connotations, which makes it a tool of the government more than a tool of citizens (Shepherd et al, 2020). For these reasons and for the reason that the state is the main actor in creating the legislation, Hersperger et al (2018) consider the governments mainly responsible for plan implementation deficiencies and the creation of new and improved spatial and urban planning paradigm.…”

A critical realist theory of ideology: Promoting planning as a vanguard of societal transformation

“…Firstly, the post-structuralist approach to ideology is more interested in understanding the ways in which ideological mechanisms are manifested in planning than evaluating the contents of the beliefs and values, as well as their resultant impacts on substantive planning strategies. For example as stated in the editorial by Shepherd et al (2020), all the articles in the Special Issue focus on the role of ideology and effects instead of tackling it ‘head on’. However, the substantive dimension of planning is of importance when it concerns either facilitating or hindering societal transformation, for example such as seen in land use strategy.…”

“…The latest attempt at bringing the ideology to the forefront of planning analysis is the Special Issue of Planning Theory (volume 19, issue 1) on Narratives of power: bringing ideology to the fore of planning analysis , which examines the politics of contemporary planning through the lens of ideology. Agreeing on the premise set forth in the Special Issue, that a variety of theories on ideology exists which serve as valuable analytical tools with which to shed light on different planning issues (Shepherd et al, 2020), this paper sets out to explore the distinct values of a critical realist theory of ideology in the analysis of planning, particularly regarding planning in quest of societal transformation. By doing so, the paper aims to enrich the ongoing debates on ideology and planning by demonstrating the ways in which a realist approach to ideology provides a different angle when addressing planning challenges, issues and solutions, as well as promotes the transformative edge of planning.…”

Urban planning and degrowth: a missing dialogue

“…Considering the important role of ideology in planning, planning scholars have not paid much attention to ideological reflection on planning practices. The recent decade seems to witness a raising interest in ideology inquiry in planning (Gunder 2006(Gunder , 2010Grange 2014;Sager 2015;Shepherd, Inch, and Marshall 2020;Xue 2018). Although the studies draw on different definitions and theories of ideology to inform analyses of various planning issues, they more or less confirm mainstream planning's commitment to the hegemonic political ideology oriented for growth and neoliberalism.…”