Public Norms and Aspirations aims to improve the methodology of planning research and practice by exploring the co-evolution of institutional innovation and the philosophy of pragmatism in processes of action. As most attention in planning research and planning practices goes to the pragmatic approaches of aspirations and problem solving, the field is awaiting an upgrade of institutional perspectives. This book aims to explore the interaction of institutional and pragmatic thought and to suggest how these two approaches might be integrated and applied in successful planning research. Searching this combination at the interface of sociology, planning, and law, Salet opens a unique niche in the existing planning literature.
Willem Salet is Professor Emeritus of Urban and Regional Planning at the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He chaired the group Urban Planning until 2017. He was the Scientific Director of Amsterdam study center for the Metropolitan Environment (AME) 2008-2013. He was the President of the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) 2008-2010 and was awarded Honorary Membership of AESOP in 2016.