ABSTRACT
I have long been convinced that useful planning theory ideas remain closely tied to practical affairs. People who do planning use ideas to justify and guide their actions. The kinds of reasons and arguments they use I call planning theory. This belief is by no means universally held. Many students of planning theory spend considerable time and effort arguing for the primacy of a theory that stands on its own, over and above practice. They want a theory that like the sun illuminates the shadows cast by the uncertainties we face in charting our collective destiny (Branch 1983, 1990, 1992; Faludi 1973, 1987; Friedmann 1987). These analysts hope the comprehensive and even transcendent qualities of a coherent rational planning model will provide a reassuring and secure frame of reference for charting the diverse destinations of practice.
