The Planner’s Job
Tuesday, February 21st, 2012It is not the planner’s job to arrange the performances. Planners, along with citizens and other stakeholders design the sites for potential performances, meetings, surprises, solitude, etc.
When planning, never lose sight of the purpose of planning—for whom is the plan for and for what it is for. Inevitably, all planning purposes are by and for the people. Planning has evolved to so much more than diagrams, pictures and figures of envisioned lay-outs. Ultimately, it is not a planner’s job to tell people what to do on a certain piece of land. Instead, it is the planner’s job to plan how to enhance the environment to suit its recognized purpose. And this recognized purpose is determined by the people—the citizens, the stakeholders. We don’t just declare areas as this and that without consideration of the concerns and issues of stakeholders. Their participation is the very essence of planning.