Level III

RATIONALE: Planning is a human process.It is a normal part of everyone’s life, whether one is planning a dinner or a vacation.As a set of explicit techniques, planning is used by governments, institutions, businesses and communities in problem solving.As a profession, planning has been viewed by some as specialized, scientific, and value-free.However, this view has been widely challenged.Most planners now acknowledge that there are many models of planning, and that each model has implicit and explicit values regarding the social structure of a particular society, concepts of social change, citizen/community participation, and the role of the professional.If a community planner is to use planning processes effectively and wisely to improve the quality of life in communities, s/he must be able to understand not only the technical differences among various models of planning, but also their underlying values, politics and ideologies. This competency requires the student to analyze some of the major writings on planning models and theories over the past half century.This analysis involves demonstrating an understanding of: (a) the assumptions, values, methods and utility of the various approaches; (b) some of the classic debates about planning and citizen participation; and (c) some of the current debates about the relationship between planning theory and planning practice. The competency also requires demonstration of the ability to analyze an actual planning situation or process in a local community, including inferring and explaining which planning models and theories have been used.

COMPETENCY:Can demonstrate understanding of the nature and implications of various models and theories of planning and can apply this understanding to an analysis of a process of planning in a local community.

CRITERIA:

1.Analyze a range of classic writings on planning models and theories

2.Analyze a range of classic writings on advocacy planning and citizen/community participation

3.Analyze a range of recent writings on planning models and theories

4.Analyze the planning process in one community planning situation

Portfolio Links: The written work for the competency should be guided by the criteria of the Writing portion of the Level II Communications Portfolio. The written work for the competency must at least meet the criteria of the Writing portion of the Level II Communications Portfolio.

STANDARDS:

1. For criterion 1:

a. Utilize at least two different sources approved by a faculty evaluator;

b. Based on these two sources:

i. summarize some of the arguments for why planning should be done;

ii. explain comprehensive rational planning and its strengths and weaknesses;

iii. explain incrementalism and its strengths and weaknesses;

iv. explain some of the strengths and weaknesses of at least two other major planning models, such as apolitical politics, strategic planning and critical planning theory;

v. identify and briefly explain a situation in which you have seen one of the models used in practice;

vi. make effective use of and properly cite direct quotations and paraphrases from the sources.

2. For criterion 2:

a. Utilize at least three different sources approved by a faculty evaluator;

b. Based on these three sources:

i. explain some of the different forms that citizen participation can take and explain what difference (if any) it makes for community planning which form is practiced;

ii. explain advocacy planning and its critique oftraditional planning ;

iii. summarize some of the debates about the limitations and potential of advocacy planning;

iv. make effective use ofand properly cite direct quotations and paraphrases from the sources.

3. For criterion 3:

a. Utilize at least three different sources approved by a faculty evaluator;

b. Based on these three sources:

i. explain and compare at least two different contemporary models of planning practice, such as attention-organizing, pragmatic orientation, political feedback strategy, and transformative participatory planning;

ii. discuss some of the challenges associated with planning when the planner differs in class and/or cultural background from the community constituency. iii.make effective use ofand properly cite direct quotations and paraphrases from the sources.

4. For criterion 4:

a. identify the community affected by the plan;

b. describe the political context of the planning situation, including: qthe major institutional actors, their goals, and level of political power qthe major community actors, their goals, and level of political power.

c. describe the planning process, including:

• definition of the planning problem.
• how the planning was initiated.
• the major steps in the planning process.

d. infer and explain the various planning theories or models exhibited by the planning situation; the identification of planning theories or models must be justified by explicit reference to the literature on models and theories.

e. Criterion 4 may be demonstrated either through a written essay or through a detailed outline plus oral presentation.In either case, sources must be properly cited within the essay or outline and must be listed in writing and in proper bibliographic form.

EXAMPLES OF DEMONSTRATION: 

1. Prior Learning:Obtain from an evaluator a set of readings on planning models and theories and prepare written analyses according to criteria 1-3.For criterion 4, based upon previous or present job experience, the student analyzes the planning process of a project she has been involved in or are familiar with.For example, she has worked for HUD on public housing redevelopment and analyzes the planning process for the HOPE VI redevelopment of the Mission Main development in Boston.She prepares a detailed outline of the case and makes an oral presentation to the evaluator to meet criterion 4.

2. Independent Learning: Obtain from an evaluator a set of readings on planning models and theories and prepare written analyses according to criteria 1-3.For criterion 4, the student undertakes research on the history of urban renewal in Cambridge based on archival material.She writes a paper analyzing the process according to the standards.

3. Course: A student completes a CPCS course addressing the competency or an appropriate transfer.