AUSTRALIAN PLANNER JUNE 1975 Town Planner as Diplomat - An Exploration of a Dimension of a Planner's Political Role

The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the political dimensions of a planner's role, particularly in respect of a diversity of decision-making styles and power balance situations, and to propose the relevance of the political skills of diplomacy to the planner's role. The examination starts from the premise that the town and regional planner has an inadequate command of the necessary political skills to successfully prosecute his proposals and policies. It is asserted that training specifically in the art and craft of political practice is given to few planners, and that even those entering the profession of planning from a social science or humanities background have seldom been trained to manoeuvre in the labyrinth of political decision-making. The paper refutes the proposition that training is unnecessary because of the inherent charismatic qualities of the planner. In the exploration of a number of political dimensions of the planner's work, reference is made to political styles, to the balance of power, to possible role descriptions, and to the art and practice of diplomacy.