Paper short abstract:

The paper considers the knowledge requirements of planning that supports diverse economies as a way of reducing the dependence on growth.

Paper long abstract:

The aim of the paper is to explore the knowledge requirements of planning that challenges pro-growth dynamics through prefiguring diverse economies. It is based on the interface of de-growth and post-growth perspectives with the diverse economies framework of Gibson-Graham. It begins from an analysis of how pro-growth dynamics underpin much contemporary planning and then considers the potential alternatives emerging from the de-growth and post-growth planning literature. It uses the diverse economies framework to understand such alternatives as thickening aspects of current economic activity, rather than positing an alternative ideal economy. The proposition is that practical examples of such alternatives, even if individually modest, are able to prefigure a significant challenge to the pro-growth hegemony. A number of cases into diverse economies are explored including practices of commoning. Lessons are drawn for how planning can enable the shift to more diverse economies, opening up a discussion about the knowledges required and the methodologies involved. The paper draws on extensive review of the research literature alongside European case studies of: neo-endogenous development, cooperatives, community land trusts, social enterprises managing community assets, community-owned infrastructure and urban commoning. It concludes that post-growth dynamics in planning will require new ways of understanding local communities, as well as greater emphasis on landownership and social capital. Attention will have to be paid to the details of management and business models within diverse economies and how knowledge of these can be disseminated.