ABSTRACT
This chapter distills lessons of the preceding ones by reviewing 12 common traps that people in planning-related fields often fall into–traps that planner should avoid. The traps include: dismissing things as "Just Politics"; being arrogant or smug; assuming that planners know everything; believing too much in experts; fearing the public; developing sloppy writing and speaking habits; trying to make their work "Perfect"; missing deadlines; when in doubt, convening a meeting; being unprepared; trying to survive on good intentions alone; and getting discouraged. Politics are an integral part of most planning work and help to define the culture of a community. One of the main criticisms that can legitimately be laid at the feet of many young and not-so-young planners, and helping and design professionals, is tendency to carry around a kit bag of favorite notions, ideologies, formulae, and ready-made solutions, and to assume that they can be applied in all or most situations where help is needed or plans required.
