American Planning Research Articles

From Nickel Grass to Desert Storm: The Transformation of US Intervention Capabilities in the Middle East

This article focuses on the description and analysis of Operation Nickel Grass – the American airlift to Israel during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. The lessons learned from this venture had a decisive impact on subsequent American political and strategic planning policies globally and especially vis-à-vis the Middle East. Furthermore, and just as crucial, it totally transformed US–Saudi relations. The object lessons of this important Cold War big power confrontation and its long-range impact on US–Middle East relations are at the core of this study.

Southeast Asia. Cold War Southeast Asia. Edited by Malcolm H. Murfett. Singapore: Marshal Cavendish Editions, 2012. Pp. 376. Bibliography, Notes, Index.

Cold War Southeast Asia Edited by MALCOLM H. MURFETT Singapore: Marshal Cavendish Editions, 2012. Pp. 376. Bibliography, Notes, Index. doi:10.1017/S0022463413000118 This refreshing and challenging collection of essays invites a reassessment of the place of Southeast Asia in the Cold War. In approaching this question, the strategies followed by the authors vary. Some pursue issues particularly illustrative of the approach taken by the great powers to Southeast Asia, often employing unusual or not previously exploited sources. Thus Brian P. Farrell, focusing on American nuclear doctrine as it was applied to the region, considers in some detail the British response to American plans. Despite some scepticism of the utility of using nuclear weapons against a concerted Chinese invasion, and having in any case few forces of their own to contribute, the British nevertheless cooperated in the development of 'Plan 4' for collateral reasons: The British decision to pledge nuclear weapons to Plan 4 was a calculated risk, hoping to reap some political benefits without having to pay any military price. The prizes were information about American plans and intentions, and influence over American policy; the risk was to commit the UK to a conflict it might not support, by pledging forces it might not be able to deploy, to reinforce an ally upon whom it depended. (p. 121) In this case the Cold War seems certainly to have been a key determinant of British policy towards Southeast Asia. The book contains other similarly focused studies. Mining an archive of training papers produced by US military officers, Brian M. Linn explores the conceptions of Southeast Asia held by the coming generation of military leaders, in whose analyses Cold War assumptions were powerful but not always determining. Sutayut Osornprasop approaches the question of Thailand's position by way of Bangkok's policy of countering the communist movement in Laos, where Thai irregulars were active participants for 15 years. In addition to these issue-oriented pieces there are competent survey chapters of specific countries, including Bruce Lockhart on Cambodia and Laos, Ricardo T. Jose on the Philippines, and Tan Tai Yong on Singapore. A model of clarity as well as of documentary grasp is the chapter by the editor on the British military commitment to Malaysia and Singapore. One of the consistent themes in the book is the extent to which this period in Southeast Asia's history cannot be reduced to the machinations of external powers. Of all Southeast Asian nations, this generalisation might be thought to apply especially to Indonesia, usually held to be the core or essential nation of the region, its distinctiveness and independence reflected not least in its prominent membership during these years of the non-aligned movement. Indeed, in the book's chapter on Indonesia, this distinctiveness is represented as an objective which transcended regime type: 'in terms of his envisioned regional order, Soeharto was not fundamentally different from Sukarno: he sought to reduce the influence of extra-regional powers and at the same time enhance the ability of the regional members to be masters in their own house'. (p. 310) It is remarkable therefore that the chapter's author, Dewi Anwar Fortuna, in her overview of the Soeharto era, should characterise its policies as largely the reflection of external influences. …

A Response to Mandelker'sFree Speech law for On Premise Signs

In the late 1990s, a heated discussion about the regulation of outdoor advertising in the Journal of the American Planning Association attracted a great deal of interest in the planning community. In an article entitled “Beauty as Well as Bread,“ the president of Scenic America launched an attack on the sign industry. The authors wrote, “Nothing can damage community appearance or destroy a sense of place faster than uncontrolled signs and billboards. “ The Signage Foundation for Communication Excellence (SFCE ) responded to the article in the journal's winter 1998 issue. SFCE sought to reframe the discussion by posing the question: “How can we integrate place based communication and graphics into a rational, reasonable, and attractive land use plan? “

How planners deal with uncomfortable knowledge: The dubious ethics of the American Planning Association

With a point of departure in the concept “uncomfortable knowledge”, this article presents a case study of how the American Planning Association (APA) deals with such knowledge. APA was found to actively suppress publicity of malpractice concerns and bad planning in order to sustain a boosterish image of planning. In the process, APA appeared to disregard and violate APA’s own Code of Ethics. APA justified its actions with a need to protect APA members’ interests, seen as preventing planning and planners from being presented in public in a bad light. The current article argues that it is in members’ interest to have malpractice critiqued and reduced, and that this best happens by exposing malpractice, not by denying or diverting attention from it as APA did in this case. Professions, organizations, and societies that stifle critique tend to degenerate and become socially and politically irrelevant “zombie institutions”. The article asks whether such degeneration has set in for APA and planning. Finally, it is concluded that more debate about APA’s ethics and actions is needed for improving planning practice. Nine key questions are presented to constructively stimulate such debate.

China–Middle East Relations in Light of Obama’s Pivot to the Pacific

As the United States perceives the westward expansion of China’s influence as threatening both regional and worldwide balances of power, it has responded with an understandable but ill-conceived counter-action—the ‘Obama pivot’ from the Middle East to the Western Pacific. The new American thinking aims to divide the intercontinental and transoceanic regions that China and other nations want to integrate, while encouraging an ‘encircle China’ coalition among smaller maritime powers from India and Singapore to Australia and Vietnam and on to the Philippines, Japan and South Korea. The blind spot in the American plan is that all of these countries need China more than they need the United States. None of them wants a military alliance with Washington that will antagonise Beijing because their economic futures pull them inexorably towards greater integration with the mainland’s vast and growing markets. Obama’s eastward focus attempts to stem the powerful current of Islamic countries that have strengthened ties with China while quarrelling with the United States. A growing number of former American allies, including some that were virtual American dependencies, are now hedging their bets with more independent foreign policies that actively court Chinese investment, trade, military cooperation and diplomatic support.

Consanguine Philosophies of Traditional Timber-Based and Contemporary Sustainability-Based Forest Resource Management Plans

The earliest American forest resource management plans date to the birth of the forestry profession around 1900. For the next half century, these management plans were essentially timber production management plans. Certainly, other forest values, especially watershed protection, were important parts of the planning. But not until the second half of the twentieth century did multiple-use and a wide array of forest values become normal components of a forest management plan. Within the last twenty-five years forest management plans have developed a forest stewardship or sustainable forest management foundation. That is, a forest resource management plan is now expected to consider an entire set of forest values, to have a long-term sustainability focus, and to meet a set of expected management and operational criteria. Often, the forest management plan is the basis of a forest certification scheme. The early forest management plans were primarily timber-based and thus had a commercial or financial focus. Today’s forest management plans are based on multiple forest values and may or may not have a financial focus. We contrast the traditional timber management plan with today’s sustainable forest management plan, realizing the basis of both plans is by definition the forest or the timber. Involving both timber harvesting activities and the operational foundation of the sustainable forest management plan is essentially a timber management plan. One cannot ignore the fact that all forest management plans accomplish silvicultural objectives via manipulation of timber density variables, like stocking and spacing. Management of a forest still involves timber harvests. Our discussion shows that the timber management plan is still very much alive and forms the basis of modern sustainable forest management plans.

Planning for Equity in a Local Context: Case Studies from the North Carolina chapter of the American Planning Association Contributors

Planning for Equity in a Local Context: Case Studies from the North Carolina chapter of the American Planning Association Contributors

Family planning and contraceptive decision-making by economically disadvantaged, African–American women

BackgroundSignificant racial disparities exist in the US unplanned pregnancy rate. We conducted a qualitative study using the theory of planned behavior as a framework to describe how low-income, African–American women approach family planning. Study DesignStructured focus groups were held with adult, low-income, nonpregnant, African–American women in Connecticut. Data were collected using a standardized discussion guide, audio-taped and transcribed. Four independent researchers coded the transcripts using the constant comparative method. Codes were organized into overarching themes. ResultsContraceptive knowledge was limited, with formal contraceptive education often occurring after sexual debut. Attitudes about contraception were overtly negative, with method effectiveness being judged by the presence of side effects. Family and friends strongly influence contraceptive decisions, while male partners are primarily seen as a barrier. Contraceptive pills are perceived as readily accessible, although compliance is considered a barrier. ConclusionsContraception education should occur before sexual debut, should involve trusted family and community members and should positively frame issues in terms of achieving life goals.

Substantive Due Process and American Planning Law

Certain jurisprudence of the Supreme Court continues its profound, and perhaps baneful, effect on American planning law. That jurisprudence relates to the invented constitutional doctrine of substantive due process, which remains popular among lawyers attacking and defending land use actions. This article analyzes that doctrine, attempts to demonstrate its inadequacies, and suggests alternatives to its use.

New format for American Pharmacists Month

October is American Pharmacists Month (APhM) and big plans are under way at APhA to make the celebration more pharmacistfocused and highlight the major role pharmacists have in patient health. APhA will empower community pharmacists to expand and strengthen their interactions with patients by providing valuable tools and resources through the APhM campaign. These tools will help pharmacists talk to patients about medication use and other services they provide. By educating patients about pharmacy offerings, patients are more likely to use these services and live healthier lives.

Review: PLANNING LOS ANGELES, by David C. Sloane

Book Review| September 01 2012 Review: PLANNING LOS ANGELES, by David C. Sloane PLANNING LOS ANGELES. Edited by David C. Sloane. (Chicago and Washington, DC: American Planning Association Planners Press, 2012. 236 pp. $34.95 paper.). Paul J. P. Sandul Paul J. P. Sandul Paul J. P. Sandul is assistant professor of history at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas where he co-directs the public history program. His publications and research focus on California, suburbs, place, memory, and oral history. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Southern California Quarterly (2012) 94 (3): 394–396. https://doi.org/10.1525/scq.2012.94.3.394 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Paul J. P. Sandul; Review: PLANNING LOS ANGELES, by David C. Sloane. Southern California Quarterly 1 September 2012; 94 (3): 394–396. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/scq.2012.94.3.394 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentSouthern California Quarterly Search This content is only available via PDF. © 2012 The Historical Society of Southern California. All rights reserved.2012 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

French Modern: Norms and Forms of the Social Environment by Paul Rabinow

Author(s): Fischler, Raphael | Abstract: French Modern is one of these books that one should read twice: first time, in order to enjoy author's storytelling; second time, to learn from his skillful analysis. The story, in this case, is that of gene­ sis of French urbanisme. It is story of technicians of general ideas: social reformers and statisticians, military men and politicians, architects and social scientists whose work lies in the middle ground between high culture or science and ordinary life (p. 9). Rabinow tells us about their efforts to fashion new fields of knowledge and technologies of social control, as well as new urban forms and social spaces. Through this story, Rabinow analyzes specific forms of rationality that these men embodied and articulated, forms of rationality that made possible a new mode of social regulation: modern city planning. While book is about French planning, it has lessons for American planning practi­ tioners, historians, and theorists, who may find that field of planning evolved in similar ways on both sides of Atlantic. Both French and American planning share an early emphasis on hygiene and both gradu­ ally came to rely on universal standards in order to analyze and regu­ late city and its population.

Neo-Traditional Development: The Debate

One of the hottest topics in the planning field today is the concept of nee-traditional development-that is, the creation of new communities that look and function like towns of times past. Nearly every issue of the American Planning Association's monthly Planning has an article related in some way to this topic, and these articles are inevitably fol­ lowed each month by numerous letters from around the country. At the july conference of the American Collegiate Schools of Planning and the Association of European Schools of Planning, several papers from both American and European researchers addressed the topic either directly or indirectly. The American Institute of City Planners' Training Service held a series of workshops, entitled "Nee-traditional Town Planning" last spring and summer.

Missile Defense Malpractice: U.S.-Russian Relations and Nuclear Fallacy

U.S.-Russian political relations took a turn for the worse in 2011–2012, especially in the latter year, a presidential election year in both the United States and Russia. Among the issues in contention as between Washington and Moscow was the American and NATO plan for phased deployment of missile defenses in Europe. Some prominent Russian officials and military experts regarded the proposed European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) plan for European missile defenses as a prospective threat to Russia's strategic nuclear deterrent. Russia's objections to NATO's missiles defenses are as much political as they are military-technical, and the 2012 return of Vladimir Putin to the Russian presidency renders uncertain the future of the U.S.-Russian ‘reset’ launched during the early years of the Obama administration.

Notice of Redundant Publication

This is to announce that an article published in 2005 in this journal, entitled “How ( In) accurate Are Demand Forecasts in Public Works Projects? ” [Bent Flyvbjerg, Mette Skamris Holm, and Søren L. Buhl, Journal of the American Planning Association, Vol. 71, Issue 2, 2005, pp. 131—146, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01944360508976688], was substantially reproduced in the article “Inaccuracy in Traffic Forecasts, ” published in 2006 in Transport Reviews [Bent Flyvbjerg, Mette Skamris Holm, and Søren L. Buhl, Transport Reviews, Vol. 26, Issue 1, 2006, pp. 1—24 (retracted) ].

The garden city idea in the CIAM discourse on urbanism: a path to comprehensive planning

Over a period of three decades, from 1928 to 1959, the Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne (CIAM) formed an unconventional working team and a complex laboratory of progressive ideas for designing the city. During the founding years of the organization and the transatlantic emigration of many of its major figures during the second half of the 1930s, a profound engagement with the most important trends in the European and North American debates on planning had become the critical foundation for their common task. The organization's consequent basic convictions and demands summed up the most effective maxims of the discipline since the turn of the century. Officially, CIAM tried to distinguish itself from traditional urban planning and instead advocated modern urban planning as the antithesis to everything that existed previously. Seen from a historical perspective, however, numerous points of connection – in particular to the garden city movement – become very clear. The various members of CIAM were deeply influenced ideologically by Ebenezer Howard's visions for urbanism. Personal contact to representatives of the garden city movement, active involvement in its institutions, and broad implementation of Howard's ideas in the context of European and North American planning led CIAM from the analysis of the functions of the existing city to a comprehensive design of the modern city.

Islamic Law Meets ERISA: How America’s Private Pension System Unintentionally Discriminates Against Muslims and What to Do About It

This article asks whether Muslims whose religious beliefs prevent investment in their employers’ private pension plans have a right to religious accommodation. This is a real issue for a growing part of the population whose spiritual lives are governed by rules that prohibit the giving or taking of interest. As one might expect, the investments available through most American pension plans involve some aspect of interest making those investments unsuitable retirement vehicles for devote Muslims. Consequently, in order to secure their retirement income, Muslims are faced with either violating their religious beliefs, losing years of investment opportunity as they wait for the American investment market to catch up to their religious needs, relying on their employer’s goodwill, or religious accommodation through court or statute. Religious accommodation in the workplace is governed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act (Title VII). The statute is directive and punitive. There are potential money damages if an employer does not comply with Title VII’s religious accommodation requirement but no benefit (monetary or otherwise) in exchange for compliance. The two Supreme Court decisions that look at religious accommodation under Title VII concern private employers asked to rearrange employee work schedules to accommodate Sabbatarians. Where the employer faced a potential penalty for failure to provide religious accommodation but no benefit for compliance with the statute’s requirements, the Court treated the Title VII accommodation obligation as an Establishment of religion and as a burden on the non-believers’ Free Exercise rights. Accordingly, the Court diminished Congress’ religious accommodation rule under Title VII to the point that no motivated employer need ever accommodate an employee’s religious practice.Not all religious accommodations occur in the same context. As opposed to religious accommodation under Title VII, the Court generally gives Congress great deference when the legislature bestows tax benefits in exchange for taxpayers eschewing even constitutionally protected activities. Private pension plans are founded on tremendous tax benefits bestowed on retirement accounts by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). These benefits invoke the deference to Congress exhibited in the Court’s tax decisions rather than the hostility to forced religious accommodation reflected in its Title VII decisions.

Foreign University Involvement in Sustainable New Town Planning in Provincial China

ABSTRACT Recent concern with sustainable urban development has focused on the widespread development of new towns and the expansion of cities throughout China. In recent decades, an increasing number of planning and design professionals in the United States and Europe have undertaken consulting work in China. This study examines the first instance of a Chinese city funding an American academic planning unit to create a conceptual plan for a new town. The School of Planning from the University of Cincinnati was commissioned to prepare the conceptual plan for the Anyang Eastern New Town. Prior to the drafting of the plan, faculty and students visited the site on a reconnaissance and data gathering mission, undertook research and studio work, organized presentations, and navigated the labyrinthine bureaucracy at the local, provincial, and national levels. These experiences differ considerably from those encountered in places such as Shanghai and the southern coastal plain region. This article identifies a number of issues that play a key role in the success of projects involving American or European Universities in conjunction with the Chinese government, particularly provincial authorities. This paper provides a valuable reference for any organization involved in such undertakings.

Re-emplacing Place in the “Global Here and Now”—Critical Ethnographic Case Studies of Native American Language Planning and Policy

In Native American communities, the “global here and now” (Appadurai, 2001) is linked to twin movements for standardization and English supremacy, resulting in the decline of Indigenous languages and persistent educational disparities. This article takes up Appadurai's call to democratize research on globalization, juxtaposing theories that emphasize mobility, the distribution of sociolinguistic resources, and transnational connectivities with an Indigenous epistemological stance stressing continuity and place. Drawing on ethnographic data from Hopi, Navajo, and Yup'ik cases, the article then inspects the processes by which these language practices are being re-emplaced in new concrete and mobile spaces by Indigenous practitioner-intellectuals. The article concludes by problematizing the tensions between globalizing/standardizing discourses and Indigenous senses of place, returning to Appadurai's call for collaborative research on globalization that contributes to new, liberatory language pedagogies.

Reinforcing Our Relevancy in a Local Context: Case Studies from North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association Contributors

Reinforcing Our Relevancy in a Local Context: Case Studies from North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association Contributors