Canadian planners face an uncertain future. The communities which planners serve are
experiencing significant change and seeking answers to the environmental, economic, and social
factors affecting them Planners have been disparaged publicly and in writing by prominent
popular writers, criticized by planning theorists, reproached by politicians and the public, and
challenged from within and outside the profession to explore new ways of addressing the issues
facing society. While planners have been caught up in those debates and issues, no one has asked
planners what they think about the future of their profession. This study examines the state of
Canadian planning^ asks practitioners what they think about their profession, and identifies the
factors which affect the work of planners.
The study is based upon a review of planning literature and a survey of Canadian planners. The
literature review examines others' -mainly planning theorists'- primary research to explore the
historic relationship between planners and city building and the influences of that relationship
upon modem planning thought and practice. The study also reviews the evolution of modem
planning theory and modern planning practice. The examination of the history and theory of
planning provides a context for the exploration of practitioners' views of the nature and status of
planning in Canada.
The focus of the study is an analysis of the views of Canadian practitioners on the current state of
planning. Five hundred and two questionnaires were sent to a random sample of members of the
Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), representing 14% of the Provisional and Full members. One
hundred and tiiirty three or 27% of the sample responded. The results provide a detailed
understanding of what Canadian planners identify as the issues facing Canadian planning practice.
The study confirms that a majority of Canadian planners believe that planning practice is facing or
is in a state of crisis. They suggest that the crisis is caused by a number of factors such as the
political nature of planning decision-making, lack of public understanding of planning, and lack of
understanding of planning by politicians. Many planners feel that planning is compromised by the
politics of place and that, more and more, planning is facing conflicts of competing interests. In
the face of those pressures, planners believe that most planners have become agents of order
rather than agents of change. They suggest that the future of planning rests in identifying
appropriate new concepts of planning action. A large number also believe that there is a weak
linkage between the theory and practice of planning which threatens the well being of planning
practice. Building upon the findings of the survey and Len Gertler's 1994 challenge to the
Canadian Institute of Planners to identify a "more appropriate development model," the study
suggests that a "new development model" could reinvigorate Canadian planning and build
effective linkages between theory and practice.
The study suggests the evolving concepts of healthy communities and sustainable development
could provide a framework for such a model which could have a social reform and interventionist
approach to community-based action. The dissertation offers suggestions on the potential form of
the model and the role that the Canadian Institute of Planners could play in articulating it. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/9607 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Witty, David Roy |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Format | 17907296 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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