How do Topics Emerge in Planning Studies?

Abstract

To which topics planning studies attach attention is subject to dynamic change. Issues such as sustainability, socially integrative cities or metropolitan regions played prominent roles at different times. Against this background, it is noteworthy that within planning studies so far only few studies focus on the fundamental question of why certain topics arise at a certain time in planning research and later subside again. There are no models that could explain why a planning topic receives particular attention. While there is no doubt that topics as those mentioned above are fundamental for planning thought, we cannot explain the timing and causation of their emergence on top of the agenda. This article explores the question of how attention is constituted and developed for a topic in planning studies. Building on political science and communication sociology approaches, an issue-attention cycle is conceptualized as the socially determined development process of an issue. Using the cases of 'climate change' and 'shrinking cities', issue-attention cycles in planning studies are examined exemplarily on the basis of a phase heuristic. Taking a sociology of science perspective, orientations of actions by planning scholars are revealed. A network analysis identifies and explores key actors, their publications, and crucial events for the development of both topics. In addition, a lexicometric discourse analysis examines contents and conceptual contexts. Finally, a qualitative survey explores how and why scientists pick certain topics as part of their individual research biographies. The article concludes with a plea to consider issue-attention cycles as an integral part of planning studies since they strongly affect the prioritization of problems, aims and policies within the scientific realm and beyond.