Factors of evolution in the content of planning documents: downtown planning in a Canadian city, 1962 - 1992

Abstract

The paper is focused on factors that drive the evolution of models, assumptions, methods, processes, and proposals as expressed in planning documents. It is concentrated on societal factors such as political and economic trends, as well as on local considerations such as the evolution of the urban structure and local political and economic circumstances. Consideration is also given to paradigm shifts occurring within the planning profession and to their influence on local-level planning. The author examines planners' professional interest in developing and adopting new paradigms. He argues that the adjustment of planning to societal trends is mediated by planners' creativity, knowledge, initiative, and self-interest. The empirical substance is drawn from a case study of downtown revitalization planning over a thirty-year period in the city of Kitchener, Ontario. The author identifies a shift from expert-based to participatory planning and speculates on the likely forms local planning will take in the future.