The practical wisdom of planning

Abstract

The paper examines different heuristic an operational models in urban and regional planning, in planning of complex infrastructral projects but also in broader context of social sciences and administrative disciplines. Speciffically, it examines relations between positivist approach to heuristic, and approaches which are generally reffered to as phronetic . With base in ph ronetic theory of Bent Flyvbjerg (theory formally structured through Aristotles’ distinction between episteme, techne and phronesis) relative significance of context, actors, values and previous similar cases is analysed. Paper closely examines potential role of phronetic approach in increasing transparency of decission making and in increasing precission in cost anticipation in comple x infrastructural projects.