Planning as Urban Therapeutic

Michael Gunder and Jean Hillier
Additional contact information
Michael Gunder: School of Architecture and Planning, National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
Jean Hillier: School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, Claremont Tower, Newcastle upon Tyne NET 7RU, England

Environment and Planning A, 2007, vol. 39, issue 2, 467-486

Abstract: In this paper we seek to present a challenge to the normative prescriptive role of strategic urban planning practice. In effect, we challenge what has traditionally been regarded as the essence of strategic or ‘forward’ planning: the plan as a statement of what the city ought to become. Using Lacanian-inspired analysis we seek to understand how urban issues may be identified as metaphorical deficiencies or illnesses, to which planners apply a therapeutic salve in the form of strategic policies. Turning to the psychological utopianism of Ernst Bloch, a Freudian-inspired predecessor of Lacan, we suggest a way forward in Bloch's immanent transcendent conceptualisation of hope. We suggest replacement of the transcendent term ‘utopian’ by ‘utopic’, as a practice which is critical, inclusive, and dynamic; performative rather than normative.

Date: 2007
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/a38236 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envira:v:39:y:2007:i:2:p:467-486

DOI: 10.1068/a38236

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Environment and Planning A
Bibliographic data for series maintained by SAGE Publications ().