yahda yahda yahda, postmodernism & planning

this theory paper on postmodernism and something  is a process like no other, but i'm thoroughly enjoying it. the paper itself shall remain off this, but these are the after-thoughts, most of which will never make the final cut but nonetheless they are thoughts that sprung from the paper and the many books i've commandeered from the library [and yes that's the most fitting verb ever for my feeling on all of this radical thinking]


:: From here discuss: fragmentation of the process: in planning (community development, plurality, inclusionary planning, increased transparency) and in the production process (globalization, increased dependencies on others, loss of transparency)  the various branches of planning and social theory from 1960 through now. Postmodernism and city planning difficulties finding themselves.  What is postmodernism: it is not something new, it’s a play on the old, a pastiche, it’s exploration at its finest as it is taking what is already there and making it meaningful to the self.  City planning, how can it be defined? It is a process of applying social thought, ideals, ideas, and theory to the ‘open’ landscape and hoping that almost everyone agrees with the physical design and accepts the externalities. City planners are the glue that holds everything together, for better or worse. Planners should know the ins and outs of politics and everyday life in order to think on their feet and be what society asks them to be, absolute leaders with a conscience. Planners have to be vaguely all knowing yet know when to step aside, they must be able to know when to say no to desires in favor of needs. This is not an easy path to wander down, planning for everyone means a sacrifice of  ego but there must be an attempt to find the balance of values, those underlying heart-grabbing beliefs, and of communal happiness. There are no definite wrongs or rights, not in planning and most certainly not in postmodernist theory. It’s [life, planning, etc.?]  a process, it’s ever lasting, history has not ended, it is continuous and the need to shift and shape accordingly may be necessary, but hold onto the bits that matter the most and carry them high and tight, whether it be for demanding total acceptance of all or progressive design theory in geographies, it’s important to know ego but to know that ego is a part of a larger process is even sexier.