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Pedestrian planning and the challenges of instrumental rationality in transport planning: emerging strategies in three Swedish municipalities

LINDELÖW, DAVID LU ; Koglin, Till LU and Svensson, Åse LU (2016) In Planning Theory & Practice 17(3). p.405-420
Abstract
Despite having been subject to a strong and many-sided critique, instrumental rationality persists as paramount in transport planning practice and research. This paper argues that it is crucial to acknowledge the prescriptive and normative facet of instrumental rationality in order to understand its impact on transport planning. The aim is to explore to what extent pedestrian planning – within a specific geographical context – has subscribed to the methods employed within the limits of instrumental rationality. The study draws on data from interviews with urban and transport planners in three municipalities in the southern part of Sweden (Malmö, Lund, and Helsingborg) together with those municipalities’ urban and transport planning... (More)
Despite having been subject to a strong and many-sided critique, instrumental rationality persists as paramount in transport planning practice and research. This paper argues that it is crucial to acknowledge the prescriptive and normative facet of instrumental rationality in order to understand its impact on transport planning. The aim is to explore to what extent pedestrian planning – within a specific geographical context – has subscribed to the methods employed within the limits of instrumental rationality. The study draws on data from interviews with urban and transport planners in three municipalities in the southern part of Sweden (Malmö, Lund, and Helsingborg) together with those municipalities’ urban and transport planning strategies. The material is analysed through three aspects related to (1) who the road user is in the realm of instrumental rationality, (2) what kind of knowledge is of interest within instrumental rationality and (3) how instrumental rationality takes physical form. The analysed material displays walking as increasingly being included in planning exercises and general design guidelines. However, these efforts do not form a consistent and thought-out strategy proceeding from instrumental rationality. Walking remains seemingly excluded from many methods defining this concept. Furthermore, the means are not described as explicitly related to certain ends, or vice versa. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Pedestrians, Transport planning, Planning documents, Instrumental rationality
in
Planning Theory & Practice
volume
17
issue
3
pages
15 pages
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:84978420941
  • wos:000381708100006
ISSN
1470-000X
DOI
10.1080/14649357.2016.1199813
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
554549cb-aa10-40f2-8f0d-dd14b0509f33
date added to LUP
2016-08-01 19:47:49
date last changed
2022-03-08 20:02:15
@article{554549cb-aa10-40f2-8f0d-dd14b0509f33,
  abstract     = {{Despite having been subject to a strong and many-sided critique, instrumental rationality persists as paramount in transport planning practice and research. This paper argues that it is crucial to acknowledge the prescriptive and normative facet of instrumental rationality in order to understand its impact on transport planning. The aim is to explore to what extent pedestrian planning – within a specific geographical context – has subscribed to the methods employed within the limits of instrumental rationality. The study draws on data from interviews with urban and transport planners in three municipalities in the southern part of Sweden (Malmö, Lund, and Helsingborg) together with those municipalities’ urban and transport planning strategies. The material is analysed through three aspects related to (1) who the road user is in the realm of instrumental rationality, (2) what kind of knowledge is of interest within instrumental rationality and (3) how instrumental rationality takes physical form. The analysed material displays walking as increasingly being included in planning exercises and general design guidelines. However, these efforts do not form a consistent and thought-out strategy proceeding from instrumental rationality. Walking remains seemingly excluded from many methods defining this concept. Furthermore, the means are not described as explicitly related to certain ends, or vice versa.}},
  author       = {{LINDELÖW, DAVID and Koglin, Till and Svensson, Åse}},
  issn         = {{1470-000X}},
  keywords     = {{Pedestrians; Transport planning; Planning documents; Instrumental rationality}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{405--420}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Planning Theory & Practice}},
  title        = {{Pedestrian planning and the challenges of instrumental rationality in transport planning: emerging strategies in three Swedish municipalities}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2016.1199813}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/14649357.2016.1199813}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}