ABSTRACT
Dealing with uncertainty in planning is a much-discussed challenge. In academic research, different planning tools have been developed, to facilitate the planner’s task of coping with uncertainty. Our paper reports on the use of an integrated planning method, in which we combine different planning tools to cope with the uncertainty of a self-elaborated spatial design. In particular, it concerns an explorative assignment on the design of a so-called ‘Inclusive Economic Participation (IEP) site’ for socially deprived citizens, located at the Colony of Wortel-Merksplas (i.e. Flanders, Belgium). In order to cope with different causes of uncertainty amongst which (I) uncontrollable social, political and/or economic changes in society, (II) contradictory statements within current spatial plans, studies and other policy documents, (III) a not well specified and unclear assignment, (IV) conflicting and ambiguous interests of stakeholders and (V) sudden and unexpected changes in opinions and attitudes of stakeholders, we have combined the planning tools of (i) knowledge gathering, (ii) partnership working, (iii) storytelling, (iv) visioning and (v) scenario-writing.
