ABSTRACT
A pragmatist approach focuses on how ideas shape practical judgements about what to do to anticipate and cope with problems. This chapter first shows how two theorists offering very different ideas about planning share a pragmatist approach. The ideas from each author are used to analyse and interpret a recent flood control plan for Chicago. The shared pragmatist sensibility does not diminish the value of the different insights offered by each theorist. Pragmatist consequentialism avoids foundational rationalism while making room for diverse ideas for complex problems.
