Urban Planners into Vision Builders

A key-note paper for a landscape-stimulated vision-making in Central Europe

2013, Landscape Transformations of the Post-communist Countries

“Urban planning needs to immediately respond to the intertwined economic, ecologic and demographic challenges. I chart the collaborative way forward.”

  • Full title: Why Do We Need to Transform Urban Planners Into Vision Builders?
  • Editor: Kristýna Stará
  • Author: Pavel Borecký
  • Conference proceedings: Landscape Transformations of the Post-communist Countries, 91-99 pages, 2013
  • Access: open access
  • Language: English
  • Key words: urban landscape, theory and practice, transdisciplinarity and participation, Central Europe

Publication Context

I was invited to present a Keynote at the international interdisciplinary student conference “Landscape Transformations of the Post-communist Countries” in October 2013. The event was co-organised by Henry Hanson, Milan Macoun, Jan Richtr and Martina Sarvašová, and funded by the Czech Technical University. 

Abstract

Working on recent urban anthropology and community studies research projects, I have realized there are certain methodological gaps, untapped intellectual terrains and unexploited potential in Central European urban planning.

In this paper, I theoretically explore the socio-historical consequences of functional differentiation and connect them with the urban planning framework of Central European countries. Building upon these findings I claim that urban planners are to become vision builders who embrace a catalyst – urban landscape – plus two principles with the highest interactive potential – transdisciplinarity and participation.

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • Science, Suruí people and hybridization
  • Transdisciplinarity: A Complex Mindset for Vision Builders
  • Through Participation to Collaboration
  • Conclusion

Why Do We Need to Transform Urban Planners Into Vision Builders? – Full Article