Institutionalist analysis, communicative planning, and shaping places

This article reviews the developments in the new institutionalism in social science and their relation to communicative planning theory, with emphasis on the relevance to the practical task of responding to demands for a more place-conscious evolution in public policy. I trace the evolution of forms of governance that are more responsive to che multiple claims and social w orlds of civil society and include discussion of the social-constructionist conception of institutions, the significance of actors and networks, the i nterrelation between structure and agency, and the cultural dimensions of s ocial net works. The implications for developing governance capability or i nstitutional capacity are also explored. In reviewing communicative plannin g theory, I discuss how Habermas's approach to communicative action may be reworked or positioned in an institutionalist perspective. Finally, I explo re how these developments can be used to develop understanding and strategi es for evolving more inclusionary approaches to integrated, place-focused p ublic policy.