Can actor network theory be used in understanding planning processes?

Abstract

Planning systems and practices – including plan preparation and implementation- are often comprise of different actors. The engagement of planning professionals in the planning process is not always static. At all levels, different actors play different roles in the planning process. The design and implementation of any planning process effectively, requires an understanding of the complexity of that process and its related networks. This paper proposes a means of mapping the network of resettlement process and housing delivery system in a selected resettlement scheme, applying the Actor Network Theory (ANT). ANT was introduced by Bruno Latour and Michal Callon in 1990s and it treats equally all human and non-human actors and their relationships in a network. Accordingly, the current research considers legal frameworks, policies, acts and laws as non-human actors within the same network where human actors exist. Utilizing a resettlement community in Anuradhapura as a case study, this research focuses on the flow of information between different actors related to the planning process. Different field based approaches were used to trace such flows of relationships between humans and non-human actors in the resettlement planning process. The application of actor network mapping analysis reveals the influence of different human and non-human actors in shaping and reshaping the planning process in plan preparation and implementation.