Change, a choice and its consequences

You are cordially invited to a special lecture by

Prof. Gert de Roo

Head of the Department of Spatial Planning and Environment

The Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen

Change, a choice and its consequences: 

From the rational actor to a dynamic choice theory – a personal ‘coup d’état’

Spatial planning is by many seen as a product of modernity. It framed the world by the ‘rational actor’ and a technical rationality. It is as well a discipline that embraced as one of the very first a communicative rationality. This step brings together two visions, two worlds: a world of functionality, efficiency and facts and a world of values, consensus and narratives.

The result is a frame of reference which brings spatial planning all the options to deal with any situation no matter how fuzzy, vague or fluid it is. This frame of reference considers any situation in degrees of complexity, and relates to this approaches, actions and consequences. This works amazingly well, as long as reality is seen as static, with degrees of ‘static’ complexity. While planning is quite capable to handle ‘static’ environments, the complexity sciences have introduced concepts to handling ‘dynamic’ environments.

More than a decade theorists are wondering about merging the debates of spatial planning and the complexity sciences: The possibility of differentiating situations (as planners do so well) while these situations are in constant state of change (elegantly explained by the complexity sciences). Could the outcome be a new frame of reference, to consider situations at hand as transformative processes and to identify possibilities to intervene purposefully for the better good of society?

Personal reflections will be given about the possibility of a ‘dynamic choice theory’.

Sunday, November 4. 17:30-19:00 | Yad-Avner Building, room 115

Geography Dept. 10 Zelig St. (north to the campus), Tel Aviv University