Planning Theory and Practice, Vol 11(2)

Available online

The interface explores the work of Peter Marris, sociologist, planning consultant, and pedagogue. Throughout his long career, Marris extended his analysis of how the powerful push uncertainty onto the powerless. For an audience in urban planning, he demonstrated how to analyze the personal societal consequences of complex public decisions. For an audience in sociology, psychiatry, and psychology, he connected theories of loss and attachment to broader questions of urban policy. Contributions from Dolores Hayden, Bish Sanyal, Ann Forsyth, Hemalata Dandekar, Keith Pezzoli and James Throgmorton provide a series of analytical and personal reflections on Marris’s work.

The section includes a series of pieces from Marris himself which will fascinate newcomers to his thought and remind those familiar with his work of its wit, versatility, and intellectual rigour. We are very proud that they include a hitherto unpublished set of lecture notes, ‘Reflections on Planning Theory’.