PLANNING THEORY: FROM THE POLITICAL DEBATE TO THE METHODOLOGICAL RECONSTRUCTION

This thought-provoking volume challenges the current trajectory of planning theory and its increasingly detached academic discourse. Rather than addressing the real technical and scientific gaps in economics and urban-regional planning practices, the field has drifted toward a vague sociological critique, often depicting planning as a declining discipline. This book offers a bold intellectual reset, calling for a new integrative approach to re-energize planning practice.

In response to this stagnation, the author introduces a fresh, multidisciplinary framework known as “planology.” This neo-discipline seeks to unify economic, environmental, and sociological perspectives in a way never before attempted. By doing so, it lays the foundation for more effective and future-oriented planning systems that can genuinely address the challenges of modern governance and urban development.

The book navigates through a range of key topics, including the reconstruction of planning science, the logical framework of planning evaluation, and the pitfalls commonly overlooked in policy implementation. The aim is to guide readers toward a reinvention of national planning systems and their strategic evolution.

Penned by a distinguished Professor of Planning who has taught in various Italian universities and served international institutions like UNDP, UNESCO, UNEP, OECD, the European Union, and the Council of Europe, this book draws from decades of global planning experience. The author’s earlier acclaimed works—The Associative Economy, The Ecological City, and Economy and Ecology—have significantly influenced planning and economic scholarship worldwide.

This is an essential text for planners, policymakers, and academics committed to reshaping the future of planning in a complex, interconnected world.