What Planners Do: Power, Politics, and Persuasion

Charles Hoch

Planners Press, 1994 - Political Science - 364 pages

What Planners Dois an innovative study of strategies used by urban planners in city governments of the United States to grapple with the political side of their profession. Hoch focuses on the attitudes of planners toward the compromises they make to accommodate political conflict, budgetary constraints, and bureaucratic red tape. Covered are the ways planners utilize research, formulate plans, regulate development, organize political coalitions, cope with racial discrimination, and negotiate with members of business groups, community organizations, and government agencies. Throughout Hoch identifies the pitfalls of common approaches taken by planners and gives examples of helpful alternatives. Hoch's analysis features responses from interviews he conducted with 32 professional planners who share insights and observations about their experiences and describe their reactions to problems encountered on the job, from enforcing building codes to selling a town council on a renovation project. Also included is a comprehensive overview of planning theory and the results of past survey research and case studies.

What people are saying

Review: What Planners Do: Power, Politics, and Persuasion

User Review  - Kate - Goodreads

I'm giving this book a 3 because of the kind of information it presents-- not because of the way in which it was presented. I slogged through the majority of it-- and it was a process of months-- but ...

Contents

• Planning and Professional Authority in a Liberal Society: 1
• The Quest for Institutional Authority: 23
• The Rational Protocol and Political Conflict: 45

Bibliographic information

• Title: What Planners Do: Power, Politics, and Persuasion
• Author: Charles Hoch
• Contributor: American Planning Association
• Publisher: Planners Press, 1994
• Original from: the University of Michigan
• Digitized: Nov 8, 2007
• ISBN: 0918286913, 9780918286918
• Length: 364 pages
• Subjects: Political Science / Public Policy / City Planning & Urban Development