The Many Faces of Planning

Abstract

Uncertainty does not only concern the specific object of planning but radically affects its disciplinary tradition, which has been seeking autonomy since the late nineteenth century. In effect, the central theme might be identified as decision-making following appropriately defined methods such as those that are scientifically corroborated – like an optimisation algorithm. Or it could be understood as the search for some “good enough” solution to problems of uncertain, and sometimes unfavourable, formulation through concrete experiments and investigations in real empirical conditions.