Book Review: "Collaborative Planning: Shaping Places in Fragmented Societies" by Patsy Healey

Patsy Healey. Collaborative Planning: Shaping Places in Fragmented Societies. Macmillan Education UK, 1997. 344 pages. ISBN 978-0-333-49574-2.

As a researcher in the Global South, the importance of Patsy Healey's "Collaborative Planning: Shaping Places in Fragmented Societies" in understanding urban planners' challenges in rapidly urbanizing developing regions is quite palpable. Published in 1997, Healey has provided one comprehensive framework for understanding and tackling the intricate and obscured ways urban growth profoundly impacts systems of meaning within which modes of urban development are either accepted or contested.

It is particularly Healey's approach, melding institutionalist and communicative theories, that speaks most directly to urban scholars in the Global South. Scholars here work in contexts undergoing rapid urbanization, which at the same time problematizes social life and embeds it within complex webs of social relations that shape and transform systems of meaning and frames of reference. This new institutionalism approach that Healey discusses is crucial for scholars and practitioners in these regions, in that it provides means for effectively studying and influencing those underlying systems and frames.

For Healey, traditional, orthodox approaches to planning are part of the problem in managing coexistence in shared spaces. A good deal of the planning in the Global South is directed toward the "ideal city," very strongly influenced by utopian images of what cities could be. Approaches to modernist instrumental rationalism are very often characterized by the "arrogant confidence of planners." With this kind of planner, it is top-down controlled, with community voices hardly heard, thus unable to respond to challenges of rapid urbanization. However, this approach is now being questioned by the increasing role of international NGOs such as UNDP, UN-Habitat, and others pushing for the realization of SDGs.

urban complexity is particularly rampant in the MENA region, where political instability breeds more influxes of refugees, and fluctuations of urban settlement growth, thereby complicating social relations and the day-to-day running of businesses. This complexity affects not only efforts to achieve collaborative planning but also hurts the "delicate relations" between business corporations that are integral to the flow of knowledge and economic development. Moreover, Healey criticizes the concentration of planning power at the apex of national systems, which more often than not become unresponsive to people's needs and provide myriad opportunities for corrupt practices.

Collaborative planning is essential to shape localities, yet is often lost in the case of bureaucratic planning organizations, more common in the Global South. In response to these challenges, Healey explains how people "establish and cultivate 'discursive practices' and 'institutional arenas'" whereby people can meet, exchange views, and develop mutual understanding. It is through this process that the consolidation of social and intellectual capital, central to sustainable and inclusive urban development, is underpinned.

The detailed discussions Healey has on strategy-making, systemic institutional design, and collaborative processes bring very practical insights key to planners in the Global South. Her framework in a normative outline for participatory governance argues for the inclusion of all relevant actors in the planning process. This not only serves to increase the legitimacy of the planning decisions but also strengthens the resilience and adaptability of governance systems.

The wealth of theory and use of case studies, however, may daunt the reader seeking straightforward practical guidance. Subtle arguments do require some background knowledge of planning theory and social science. Nevertheless, the rich insights and powerful vision contained within "Collaborative Planning" make it an essential read for those committed to advancing urban planning in the Global South.

This review acknowledges the work of the late Emeritus Professor Patsy Healey, who passed away in March 2024. That work is incredibly pertinent today and will continue to inspire and guide urban planners and scholars of all parts of the world, particularly in those regions where the challenges of urbanization are felt hardest.

RIP