Subnational and Dynamic Conceptualisations of Planning Culture: The Culture of Regional Planning and Regional Planning Cultures in Finland

Eva Purkarthofer; Alois Humer; Hanna Mattila

doi:10.1080/14649357.2021.1896772

Subnational and Dynamic Conceptualisations of Planning Culture: The Culture of Regional Planning and Regional Planning Cultures in Finland

Plan Theory Pract. 2021 Mar 16;22(2):244-265. doi: 10.1080/14649357.2021.1896772. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Eva Purkarthofer¹, Alois Humer², Hanna Mattila³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Urbanism, TU Delft, Delft, Netherlands.
² Department of Geography and Regional Research, Universität Wien, Wien, Austria.
³ Department of Built Environment, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.

Abstract

This article furthers the unconsolidated theoretical discourse on planning cultures, focusing on the region as a highly dynamic planning scale. The article discusses regional planning cultures, distinguishing two meanings: regional planning cultures in regions, referring to regionally specific approaches visible in planning practice, and cultures of regional planning, referring to a shared, abstract understanding of regional planning. The article proposes a refined view on the "culturised planning model" (CPM) with the aim to advance from a static model towards a framework for understanding differences among planning cultures over time and between geographical contexts.

Keywords: Planning system; change; culturised planning model; planning practice; region.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under a Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant [number 707404]; the Austrian Science Fund [grant number FWF-J3993-G29]; and the Academy of Finland [grant number 13333366].