John Forester
1948
American planner who studied what a planner actually does: negotiate, listen and handle unequal information.
Forester dismantled the image of the planner as a neutral technician applying criteria. In practice, the planner works surrounded by actors with more power, incomplete information and competing pressures, and their main tool is not the drawing but the conversation.
Hence his idea of deliberative planning: the participatory process is not a legitimation formality but the place where the knowledge the plan needs is produced. And he warns of the opposite: taking part without any power to decide breeds more distrust than not taking part at all.
On John Forester in this archive
- Urban form
John Forester: Participatory Planning for Equitable Cities
John Forester advocates for inclusive urban planning through community dialogue and conflict resolution. His work…
John Forester 2 min read - Public space
Participatory Democracy Explained
Participatory democracy is a model that seeks to empower citizens through their direct participation in…
John Forester 2 min read - Public space
Citizen Participation: Key to Inclusive Urban Governance
Citizen participation in urban governance has been a key theme in critical studies of planning and urban development.
John Forester 2 min read
