John Friedmann
1926–2017
Austrian-American planner who wrote the history of his own discipline and proposed putting it at the service of the powerless.
Friedmann organised two centuries of planning thought into four traditions — social reform, policy analysis, social learning and social mobilisation — and showed that these are not alternative techniques but different political positions on who decides.
His own proposal was radical planning: instead of advising power, accompanying those outside it. He was also among the first to describe the world hierarchy of cities, a decade before the term «global city» became widespread.
On John Friedmann in this archive
- Public space
John Friedmann Community Participation in Urban Planning
John Friedmann, an American urbanist and academic, has been an influential figure in the field of urban planning
John Friedmann 2 min read - Shrinking cities
Postindustrial Cities Economic Shifts
Postindustrial cities face economic restructuring, reshaping urban landscapes and social dynamics. Global…
John Friedmann 2 min read
