Public Norms and Aspirations ― The Turn to Institutions in Action

The aspirations of individuals, organizations and states, their perceptions of problems and possible solutions circulate fast in this instantaneous society. Yet, the deliberation of the underlying public norms seems to escape the attention of the public. Institutions enable people to have reliable expectations from another whilst not knowing the aspirations and purposes of the other. Public norms enable people to act under conditions of increasing uncertainty. To fulfill this role in society, institutions need enhancement, maintenance and innovation.

Public Norms and Aspirations aims to improve the methodology of planning research and practice by exploring the co-evolution of institutional innovation and the philosophy of pragmatism in processes of action. As most attention in planning research and planning practices goes to the pragmatic approaches of aspirations and problem solving, the field is awaiting an upgrade of institutional perspectives. This book aims to provide feasible ways of interaction of institutional and pragmatic thought. Searching this combination at the interface of sociology, planning and law, Salet opens a unique niche in the existing planning literature.

Willem Salet is emirate professor of urban and regional planning at the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam. He chaired the group Urban Planning until 2017. He was the Scientific Director of Amsterdam study center for the Metropolitan Environment (AME) 2008-2013. Willem Salet was the President of the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) 2008-2010 and was awarded Honorary Membership of AESOP in 2016.