<i>'This book provides a treasure chest of theoretical and political insights about what it means to be a planner and what is entailed in the planning process. Developed over a lifetime of research and teaching, Nick Low connects planning to the major debates going on in the critical social sciences and humanities, and in the world. If you are a student of public planning in need of theoretical inspiration, this book is for you!'</i><br /> --Robyn Eckersley, The University of Melbourne, Australia<p><i>'For more than forty years, Nicholas Low has been writing with depth and lucidity on the challenging intersections of power, policy, justice, and the environment. </i>Being a Planner in Society<i> provides a culmination of this work in a sweeping, passionate, and compelling narrative that is mandatory reading for all those seeking to safeguard the planet.'</i><br /> --Robert W. Lake, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, US</p><p><i>'In our current crises of climate change and rising inequality, the need for action is key, but it must be underpinned by understanding. This book provides a fresh, accessible and rigorous account of key theoretical perspectives that planning students will need to become informed, critical practitioners, able to tackle these challenges.'</i><br /> --Katy McClymont, University of the West of England, UK</p>
Aiming to define the social and political basis of planning, the book highlights how our neo-liberal world has lost touch with the importance of a well-resourced, impartial, professional and permanent public service to democracy. It does so by exploring the role of planning in long-term social and economic change, different understandings of social power and class and how human-nature relationships might influence ecological governance.
Planning scholars, particularly those focusing on urban and environmental planning, will find this book an inspiring and accessible read, integrating a wide range of social theories with social and ecological justice.