Planners' Technical Expertise: Changing Paradigms and Practices in the Italian Experience

Planners' technical expertise has evolved from architectural-engineering bases to include socio-economic and environmental issues, as well as communication methods and participatory procedures. This progress challenges professional practices and educational programmes, and produces a looser image of the planner, in contrast with that of engineers and architects. After an analysis of how technical paradigms have evolved in the planning discipline in Italy, the paper focuses on the emerging types of expertise that are expected to form the planner's 'toolbox'. This requires linking the discipline's progress with that of the professional practice, as well as connecting the legal framework with the educational system. The paper concludes by analysing the different kinds of technical expertise, taking into consideration the diverse roles played by planners.