All urban planners should be urban flâneurs.

Many times urban planners sit in their offices, go to meetings, 'crunch numbers' and do not really explore this city that they practice their trade.  An enlightened administrator should  his/her urban planners to ' go out, explore, and become part of the fabric of the city!' 

However, when urban planners are out exploring their planning area, they should have on badges indicating that are part of a planning organization. While they are sitting in a cafe observing the movement of the city, perhaps random citizens may come up to them and express their concerns. What a great way to get the pulse of the city as an urban planner.   However, the 'factory' mentality of urban planning is that you must be at your desk and hard at work so that you can please your supervisors that you are not 'goofing off.'  The idea of the urban planner as an urban flâneur needs further discussion. I welcome comments on this topic.

Being a Urban Flâneur and Urban Planner

An urban flâneur is one who casually observes what is going on in an urban environment making critical observations while strolling about the city. A city planner collects data, attends meetings prepares future plans for a specific town, village, city or region. The flâneur is seen as operating in a fuzzy, objective/subjective and qualitative milieu; while, the urban planner is involved in quantifying and analyzing data (‘hard facts’), applying standards and regulations to aid in the effective and efficient operation of an urban area. The training that as a planner receives is based on the rationalist-lineal approach and does not include training about how to be a good observer in an urban environment. Most of all the public and the elected officials view the urban planner as a government employee who is at the disposal of elected officials and the public---a public servant. The idea of wandering about a city would not be considered productive or would be done on the off-hours. It would be safe to say that many urban planners would be castigated by most administrators for leaving work during office hours to go wander the streets, talk to people, sit in cafes and restaurants, ride public transportation, sit in parks, or indulge in other seemly ‘frivolous’ activities. If an urban planner is the one who is directed to suggest future plans for an urban area is this served best by sitting at a desk?




As a practicing urban planner for many years, I would have very impressed if any of bosses said to me: “Today, I don’t want you to be at your desk…in fact let’s make this a weekly thing…go out an just wander around the city and observe what you see. Come by my office and we will discuss what you found out.” I will continue this discussion in up-coming blog entries.

What does it mean to be an urban flâneur?

I think it is good to revisit this topic as it needs more thought as a methodology of urban geography. I came across this interesting blog post by Fiona Ferbrache on Geography Directions: http://geographydirections.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/urban-geography-a-flaneurs-encounter-with-graffiti-in-toulouse/ The author discusses her weekend stroll in Toulouse, France, her encounter with urban graffiti and her take on what it means to be a flâneur. She also mentions a recent article about urban graffiti by of McAuliffe and Iveson’s (2011). People are making statements in the city continuously. Graffiti is a message to the inhabitants of the city drawing them into contemplation to its underground element, its lack of color, and public art.

Reference:
McAuliffe, C. and Iveson, K. (2011) Art and Crime (and Other Things Besides … ): Conceptualising Graffiti in the City. Geography Compass. 5,3. pp.128-143