Planning Culture

This chapter critically reflects on the debate on planning cultures which has gained considerable momentum in the past 15–20 years. Planning culture stands for an interpretative approach in planning research that differs from other planning theoretical approaches, as it understands planning practices as culturally embedded activities. By conducting a systematic literature analysis, the chapter shows that planning culture seems to be appropriate to analyse (local) planning practices in depth. As a research heuristic and explanatory variable in comparative research, it thus has considerable value for planning theory and practice. However, it also becomes clear that the added value of planning culture as a concept will only arise when it succeeds in making it manageable for empirical research work. It is precisely the breaking down of its theoretical (over-)complexity to empirical planning research, that is, the adaptation of the concept into empirically and comparable research designs, that still poses a great challenge for its application. This also emphasises the need to discuss how planning cultures and practices can be studied methodologically.