ABSTRACT
The study of the activities of design or planning is a relatively new fi eld, dating back to the middle of the twentieth century, yet one that has gained signifi cant infl uence in the practice of planning and building. Horst W. J. Rittel, a pioneering design theorist, contributed signifi cant theoretical and practical ideas that have shaped the fi eld. Some of them, such as the notion of “wicked problems,” have gained either fame or notoriety, depending on whom you ask;1 others are less well known, mainly because they were never published, have appeared in publications with limited distribution, or were published in German only. It is the purpose of this publication to bring some of these lesser-known ideas to a wider audience.
