Seeking the cul de sac: planning and the American local experience

Abstract

Planning is often portrayed as progressive. There is an understanding that planners can make history and society. Despite the recent move towards communicative and collaborative planning, the structure and culture of and agency within planning organizations may hinder the move toward progressive planning. This study sought to determine how social organization and organizational structure influences planning. Specifically, this research sought to theoretically and empirically explore the role of hegemony within the Case d'Luc County Planning Department and the possibility for counter-hegemonic movements. This study draws upon research conducted in Case d'Luc County, a growing metropolitan area in the western United States. Primary data includes interviews with County planners and community members, participant observation, and document analysis. A case study was used in order to gain data on local bureaucracy and to better understand the structure, culture, and agency that exist within this bureaucracy. In addition to examining the hegemonic strategies that exist within planning, I also consider the potential for counter-hegemonic movements within Case d'Luc County. I argue that planners plan for the cul de sac, or dead end. A disconnect exists between the planning literature and curricula, and structure and culture of planning organizations and the agency of planners within these organizations. This disconnect may be a result of a new set of objectives planners encounter when entering the field – objectives aligned with hegemonic practices. While planners are interested in maintaining their hegemony, the planning process is more than a legitimating instrument for dominant interests and elites. However, it is also a catalyst for the development of counter-hegemonic strategies.