The good city by john friedman- planning theory

THE GOOD CITYIN DEFENCE OF UTOPIAN THINKING

JOHN FRIEDMAN

1973

AN OPEN LETTER TO MANUEL CASTELLS

Social action and political projects are essential in betterment of society.

Providing empirical and theoretical elements in the pursuit of social change.

DEAR MANNUEL

Possibilities and merits of “value free” social science. Line between authorial self and social actors. (Values & interest of author should not reflect in.)

Rigor, accuracy, relevance.

Janet A.L defines ideology as “deep sets of beliefs about how the world works”.

THE UTOPIAN IMPULSE The capacity to imagine a future that departs

significantly from what we know to be a general condition at present.

Breaking through the barriers of convention into a sphere of imagination.

Religion – Satisfies their thirst for meaning.

Idea of bliss in consumer society without material affluence leading to ‘free society’.

Sir Philip Sidney’s comment on Thomas More’s Utopia, a persuasive means of ‘leading men to virtue’

Utopian thinking has two moments : Critique (injustice, oppression, ecological devastation, enumeration of ‘evils’) & constructive vision(concrete visioning).

The Utopian Tradition in Planning

Utopian writing over 200 years influenced planning profession.

Susan Fainstein – Whether we can make the cities we want ?

Prospects and Political Economy (material equality, cultural diversity, democratic participation, ecological sustainability )

Planning in the Public Domain – Advocating Transformative Planning based on mobilization of disempowered groups in society.

Radical Planning- Political action by organized groups within civic society

‘No group can be completely free until freedom has been achieved for every group.’

Civic Struggle

Imagining the Good City: Theoretical Considerations

Whose City?

Common Good

Are we concerned only with the process or only with the outcome or should outcome and process should be considered jointly?

Normative framework in relation to the professional practice.

Whose City?

No more Common good – Propaganda or an act of self deception.

Pluralist see only group interests that strike temporary bargains in the political arena.

Marxists- common good used by hegemonic class.

Establish a new Metanarrative- social equity.

The city is ultimately ‘the people’.

Ends & means – Inclusive Democratic Procedure & framework.

Intention & Practice

● Committed form of Political Practice which

involves a collective entity or group together & mobilized.

● Leadership.

● Must have material , symbolic and moral power.

The Good City: Human Flourishing as a Fundamental Human Right

“Every human being has the right, by nature, to the full development of their innate intellectual, physical and spiritual potential in the context of wider communities.”

Right to Human Flourishing as the most fundamental right.

Slave Societies & women.

Human being should have an equal start in life, over a life time, differences in inborn abilities, family upbringing & class.

Idea of basic equality – Mild socialism (Public education)

Constrained- 1)Social relations. 2)Sociopolitical setting.

The Good City : Multipli/City as a Primary Good Human flourishing serves as a template for judging .

Multipli/City – An autonomous civil life relatively free from direct supervision & controlled by state.

Acknowledges the priority of civil society.

But political economist disagree with this ordering.

Describe city in terms of capital accumulation, external economies, Market exchange, administrative control & urban population in terms of labor market & social classes.

Michael Walzer calls a civic society ‘a project of projects’(people are connected to one

another & made responsible for one another)

Migrants – Not always hospitable

Requirement of solid material base Socially adequate housing

Affordable healthcare

Adequate work

Adequate social provision

The Good City : Good Governance Process is as important as outcome.

Importance of political process.

Inclusive.

3 sets of potential actors – Politicians & Bureaucrats ,State –Apex ,

Civil Society.

Citizen Partnership- Invert the order of Utopia (Not Agora)

‘The republic of the Ward’- Neighborhood government.

Transparency and right to information.

Responsiveness

Non- violent conflict management.

THANK YOU Sumit Kuliyal

Ishita Aryan