Communicate this! Does consensus lead to advocacy and pluralism?

This article presents a critique of communicative planning theory, especial ly its consensus-based variation. Limitations in communicative planning the ory are pinpointed. Consensus processes as practiced and theorized in thr U nited Stares tend to be divorced from power, ro shun important issues. and to result in general and thin agreements. Consensus processes also rely on position-based and interest-based methods that overlook norms and meaning. Finally, communicative planning theory has focussed on words and not images -a severe shortcoming in a society where images exert a dominating influenc e. Recent literatures on images are briefly examined, and a question about the shape of a more rich and integrated theory of planning is posed.