Abstract
Is there any reason to believe that magic, the human body, and the concept of time have any place in the study and practice of planning? After reading Culture and Planning by Simone Abram, one can affirm that these topics not only have a place in the planning toolkit but that they are essential components of any thoughtful planning practice. Culture and Planning presents a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of a variety of aspects of planning not usually associated with the field. Topics such as magic, time, and the human body ordinarily are outside of the usual scope of planning literature. However, in this book, Abram delves into a number of areas normally investigated in sociology and anthropology and ties these themes to the study and practice of planning.
The book provides a clear and comprehensive understanding of several key topics that are important to planners and planning students, including the role of the polis, how cultural identity informs planning projects, and ways that policy impacts the practice of planning. Abram takes a twist on these topics by examining the field through a sociological and anthropological lens, while incorporating her findings within the planning context of familiar areas such as the role of the government, organizational change, management issues, and community campaigns. The author utilizes case studies to illustrate her points and draws from historical and archival documents as well as interviews. The purpose of this book is to utilize scholarship on culture to inform planning theory and practice, and, as the author states, “to open up new ways for planners to think” (xii).
Discussion of planning begins with an introduction to the concept of culture, which takes the reader through the history of cultural studies. Emphasizing that cultural studies include nationalism and ethnic identity, Abram warns that planners should be careful not to fall into the pitfalls of stereotyping as they develop their planning practice. Her focus on “people, places and processes” (5) through the lens of cultural identity gives the reader the chance to rethink norms in the field.
The author questions whether one can ever really know if the planning process had been successful, and tells the story of the results of planning through a case study of Sheffield, England. This case gives the reader an opportunity to understand the process of implementation of a regeneration project, making this a valuable text for the student new to planning. Through a look at belief systems, nonrational thinking, the power of magic and even witchcraft, Abram intends to facilitate a different way of applying nonrational frameworks to the planning process. Symbolism, divinity, and mirages are conjured here in an effort to jolt the reader out of the complacency of traditional planning study.
Another paradigm presented in the book encourages the reader to incorporate the idea of the body in planning and to look at ways that physicality affects decision making in the field. Recognizing that the physical houses the mental and even the spiritual, Abram encourages planners to think about nongrounded groups, such as nomadic tribes, in order to expand our ideas of where bodies are housed and how they are “at home” despite the absence of a permanent dwelling.
Moving from magic and mysticism into politics and policy, the book asks planners to reconsider what owning a dwelling really means, and how policy impacts the models of ownership in today’s society. The author notes that there often can be a chasm between how residents view their involvement in the redevelopment process and how developers and policy makers view that involvement. The process of becoming involved in the “ownership” of policy creation and implementation is something that Abram feels should involve the polis as well as powerful stakeholders. Abram believes that planners should understand that citizens are a part of the planning context, and she invites us to examine the impact of aggregated community participation on the policy process.
While the role of the public in planning is often disappointing and can lead to frustrations on the part of planners, the author warns that understanding the point of view of residents is essential. Positing that the idea of “the polis” is one that has been fabricated, Abram urges the reader to reimagine the boundaries between planners and the public. The concept of time is an important tool in ensuring that this process can take place. By looking both at the past and at the future, planners can incorporate the realities communities have had to face, rather than simply sweeping problems or failures under the rug. Planning and policy making, she argues, would benefit from an expanded view of linear thinking and of standard time-based methods of project organization and implementation.
Abram advises the planning community and students of the field to be open-minded about several key areas, including respect for cultural norms, understanding concepts of nationalism, respecting different ways of measuring time, and the recognition that community participation can be an inclusive process. By minimizing the divide between planning professionals and the groups with whom they interact, the author feels that the tools and analysis used by sociologists and anthropologists can provide tremendous value to the study and process of planning. She acknowledges that planners may be overwhelmed with pressing issues at hand, including zoning, building parameters, policy boundaries, and project design and implementation. In light of these challenges, Abram cautions, planners must see themselves as part of an organic structure and life cycle, with the nonlinear emotive knowledge espoused in this book an essential tool toward building a more empathetic and sensitive practice.
Culture and Planning gives the reader a comprehensive understanding of planning in a classic way by using unconventional topic areas as doorways through which to explore the fundamentals of the field. The book provides readers with a guide to the exploration of areas not normally associated with planning, thereby opening a dialogue for thoughtful discussion. This could lead to a broadening of the concepts of planning, and a reevaluation of ways that both students and practitioners view the field. Outcomes of this change in focus may include increased sensitivity to underserved communities, greater respect for the role of the public in the planning process, and heightened awareness of the constraints of purely rational thought in the service of hard and fast outcomes.
Does culture include art and creativity? In inviting the reader to reimagine an expanded planning paradigm, Abram could investigate the broader scope of culture by including an examination of the role of the arts, innovation, and creativity. An expanded view of culture could provide the reader with an even more robust set of tools within the planning toolkit. Culture is manifest in the arts, and the fields of economic development and urban policy often include a role for planners in the creation of strategies for the integration of arts and culture options in project for cities and regions. An additional topic that could be addressed is the role of stakeholder partnerships in cultural planning. Media arts and technology provide opportunities to communicate with the public and offer the chance for planners to interact more fully with their clients and the polis, both in eliciting feedback during the planning process and in evaluating projects after completion.
Readers could benefit from the incorporation of creative economy literature, as well as the integration of cultural economics and policy issues. The conversation about economic development using arts and culture could be valuable for students and practitioners to understand. The issues faced by the so-called creative class, including opportunities for and challenges to innovation and creativity are important in the cultural lexicon, and planners would benefit from a nuanced understanding of these areas. Abram sets her focus on sociology and anthropology to assist planners and students in the development of a more inclusive point of view. This comprehensive investigation could be even stronger with the inclusion of a discussion of state support of arts and culture, as well as the investigation of issues about creative economic development for financial benefit and social good.
Culture and Planning gives planners the in-depth information they need to reframe many of the concepts and paradigms in planning today. Rather than focusing on conventional topics, the book challenges planning professionals to think differently about their field, and to incorporate new ways of looking at the body, space, and time in their practice. Especially for students, this point of view can be an important grounding from which to examine issues of social justice, cultural equity, and inclusion while gaining an understanding of the ways these kinds of themes fit into classical planning literature.
While this book incorporates many of the traditional tools used to teach planning, such as case studies, using the lenses of magic and nonlinear thought as investigative tools may be daunting for some readers. By shifting one’s point of view, however, much can be learned from the journey Abram invites us to make with her. It is valuable for planners, both professional and aspiring, to look beyond the traditional ideas of the field. Taking a trip “through the looking glass” to the land beyond accepted ways of analyzing planning can provide both students and practitioners with a fresh point of view. Culture and Planning is an excellent guide to that journey and provides a comprehensive roadmap to ensure that the trip is worthwhile.