From Toronto to Amman: The Cross-National Transfer of Planning Knowledge

Building on the notion that the relations among large-scale structures, institutions, and individuals influence the inter-national transfer of planning knowledge, this article investigates the micro-processes that impact the metamorphosis of the transferred knowledge as it undergoes synthesis and adaptation. It proposes a model that links the transactions among the individual transfer agents, whether personal (person-centered) or professional (subject-matterrelated), firstly, to the theoretical and practical levels of planning knowledge and secondly, to the structures and institutions. The model is then applied to the Master Plan of Amman, Jordan where planners from Toronto, Canada have been involved. The analysis reveals that during their interpersonal transactions, the transfer agents are better able to synthesize and adapt the transferred theories and practices than when the transfer process progresses toward the institutional level. The findings also reveal the significance of a structure that is conducive to the transfer agents for the synthesis and adaptation of knowledge.