The New Information Technology and the Structure of Planning Practice

This paper reports on the development and implementation of two computer-based planning and information systems in a large land use planning department. Contextual features, including: a legal challenge to prevailing pro-growth politics, related crises in infrastructure finance and departmental productivity and legitimacy, and the historically weak position of the planning agency in relation to its major co- participants in the land development process, are critical for understanding the technical and political aspects of system design and implementation. The analysis focuses on the initial impacts of these information systems on relations between planning agency and service providers, elected officials and land developers; and on management-professional staff relationships within the planning organization. Automated information has enhanced the credibility of the planning department in the eyes of its co- participants, as well as strengthened the capacity of co-participants to do their own planning. Automated information will likely facilitate a shift away from map-based, long-range comprehensive planning done by a generalist planning agency, toward shorter-range sectoral programming done primarily by co-participants. Planning agencies will have to develop an information services strategy that takes into account widespread access to formerly monopolized information resources, or professional staff activities will increasingly be taken over by those on top of the planning organization in alliance with strong actors outside.