Expert Advisory Platforms: A Critical Analysis of Collaborative Planning Procedures

Abstract

For the first time in the world’s history, the majority of mankind lives in urban areas. Hence, we must be aware of new terms related to human settlements. According to biologists Crutzen and Stoermer (2000), we live in the ‘anthropocene age’. Moreover, some authors agree that today’s man is a sort of ‘homo urbanus’ (Tibaijuka, Maseland & Moor, 2004). A shift in human habitat towards urban living brings great challenges for the sustainable development of cities, as well as for the prosperity of their citizens. In other words, the human race is supposed to cope with complex spatial problems in order to reach sustainability. The critical question that arises here is: How to deal with complexity in a rapidly urbanising world? The possible answer is that we need different ‘lenses’ for looking at spatial problems. Furthermore, we can assume that different ways of thinking demand different ways of planning from what is considered a traditional planning model (Healey in Perić, 2014). More precisely, over the previous two decades, spatial and urban planning has been based on the principles of communication, collaboration and cooperation among numerous stakeholders.....