Insurgencies

"John Friedmann is always worth listening to. He is a creative thinker, writes well, deals with trenchant issues, and always brings clarity to them. Wheather one agrees with everything he says or not, one ends with a better grasp of the issues, nuanced but within a sharp larger framework of facts and understanding. In this book he has pulled out the juiciest plums of his work in planning theory from over 40 years of work at the cutting edge of the field, foundational readings for anyone interested in how planning can help move society forward democratically and in a humane direction rationally based on the best of existing knowledge. The essays provide practical guidance for planning activists and professionals and provocative stimuli for students, teachers, and researchers. It is international in scope, grounded in lessons from experience explicitly set forth, presenting big ideas and small hints for action in an open-ended format. Very highly recommended." Peter Marcuse, Columbia University

"This collection of essays traces the development of John Friedmann's thought over a long career. Although his focus moved from a rationalistic, state-centered view of planning to a more flexible, citizen-based approach, he retained throughout his commitment to transforming learning into action so as to enhance human thriving. Friedmann develops a normative argument in which to frame his view of planning objectives; at the same time he is sensitive to the political force field and differing cultural circumstances in which planning operates. The book reaffirms his importance and continuing influence as one of the most fertile minds thinking about planning." Susan S. Fainstein, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, author of The Just City (2010)

"Friedmann provides a kind of intellectual autobiography of his explorations in planning theory...in these clearly-written essays and commentaries we encounter his scholarly mind as it engages with continual critical exploration of the idea and practice of planning. Through it, we come to see the conceptual dimension of the planning endeavour, the core of `planning theory', as evolving exploration of common themes." Patsy Healey, Newcastle University.

Covering transactive planning, radical planning, the concept of the "good city", civil society, rethinking poverty, and the diversity of planning cultures, this collection of Friedmann's most important and influential essays tells a coherent and compelling story about how the evolution of thinking about planning over several decades has helped to shape its practice.

With each of the chapters introduced by a brief essay providing background information about its origins and the author's intentions, and followed by a series of study questions to help focus classroom discussions, as well as by a small number of suggested readings, Insurgencies: Essays in Planning Theory is an ideal text for the study of planning theory and history.