Positive theory of planning: the social choice approach

Most planning theory is normative and does not aim at explaining the design of planning processes. However, once the relationships between organisatio nal characteristics and the various modes of planning are established, thes e connections can be used for developing positive planning theory. The prob lem is to explain why an agency practises a particular mode of planning (sy noptic, incremental, etc), or even why it performs a specific variant of su ch a mode. It is argued that the impossibility theorems of social choice pr ovide a useful platform for attacking such problems. In order to explain th e practice of planning agencies, a scheme for linking agency properties and planning modes is combined with alternative strategies for resolving dilem mas of agency decisionmaking. A brief survey of other theoretical approache s to the construction of positive planning theory opens the discussion and places the social choice analysis in a theoretical context.