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Willem Salet is professor emeritus of Urban and Regional Planning at the department of Planning, Geography and International Development Studies, University of Amsterdam. He chaired Urban Planning from 1998 to 2017. He was the Scientific Director of the 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 AESOP Honorary Membership in 2016. As a sociologist and urban planner, Willem Salet specializes in the institutional aspects of metropolitan development. Institutions are conceived in a sociological sense as the patterning of public norms. He investigates the cultural, legal, and political dimensions of public norms in the making of sustainable metropolitan spaces.
The fallibility of intervening in complex realities is widely recognized in planning theory. The prevailing planning approaches of the last two decades may be summarized as attempts to make planning more responsive, corrective, and resilient, and also more sociocratic vis à vis the traditional government-centric rationalization of planning. These adaptations make sense, yet keep planning within the pragmatic scope of purposive aspirations and pragmatic problem solving. The pivotal statement of the article is that purposive systems run down in complex societies when not adequately sustained by institutionalizing sets of public norms. Public norms fulfil a different function than goal orientation. They provide a normative compass in times of uncertainty and set conditions to social interaction rather than organizing the performance of objectives or solving problems. The article aims to highlight the interrelationships of public norms and pragmatic strategies of planning. Empirically, the article addresses the major turning points of Dutch climate policy concerning the transitions of the electricity market, the major municipal–entrepreneurial initiatives of city-heating, and the decentralization of climate policies. The method of analysis is based on policy analysis of legislation, policy documents, and published contributions to public debates. The results of the analysis highlight the differences between the high policy aspirations and the outcomes. The results give evidence of the wicked problems in the complex energy transition. The discussion questions the mischievousness of ‘good’ planning intentions in complex social figurations, and critically examines the institutionalization of the material norms and the norms of politico-ordinance. The conclusions suggest that the social normalization of public norms in Dutch climate policies is not yet adequately materialized to effectively cope with wicked problems.
Willem Salet. Public Norms in Practices of Transitional Planning—The Case of Energy Transition in The Netherlands. Sustainability 2021, 13, 4454 .
AMA StyleWillem Salet. Public Norms in Practices of Transitional Planning—The Case of Energy Transition in The Netherlands. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (8):4454.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWillem Salet. 2021. "Public Norms in Practices of Transitional Planning—The Case of Energy Transition in The Netherlands." Sustainability 13, no. 8: 4454.
Anoeska Buijze; Willem Salet; Marleen Van Rijswick. How to Contextualize Legal Norms in Practices of Sustainable Development? Distinguishing Principles, Rules and Procedural Norms. The Routledge Handbook of Institutions and Planning in Action 2018, 196 -211.
AMA StyleAnoeska Buijze, Willem Salet, Marleen Van Rijswick. How to Contextualize Legal Norms in Practices of Sustainable Development? Distinguishing Principles, Rules and Procedural Norms. The Routledge Handbook of Institutions and Planning in Action. 2018; ():196-211.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnoeska Buijze; Willem Salet; Marleen Van Rijswick. 2018. "How to Contextualize Legal Norms in Practices of Sustainable Development? Distinguishing Principles, Rules and Procedural Norms." The Routledge Handbook of Institutions and Planning in Action , no. : 196-211.
Willem Salet. Mapping metropolitan Italy. European Planning Studies 2017, 26, 873 -876.
AMA StyleWillem Salet. Mapping metropolitan Italy. European Planning Studies. 2017; 26 (4):873-876.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWillem Salet. 2017. "Mapping metropolitan Italy." European Planning Studies 26, no. 4: 873-876.
Current practice in decision-making about mega projects seems to be aimed at reducing complexity by simplification. However, this is often detrimental to the resilience and added value of these projects. This article uses the concept of strategic capacity for analyzing the decision-making process on mega projects. This concept consists of three elements: strategic ambiguity (the tension between different purposes and goals), redundancy (having more options than necessary from an efficiency perspective) and resilience (is the process reactively or proactively resilient to outside demands?). Two transport mega projects in the Netherlands are analyzed. Our analysis demonstrates that creative solutions and added value are to be found in the recombination of policy options made possible by enhancing strategic capacity.
Mendel Giezen; Willem Salet; Luca Bertolini. Adding value to the decision-making process of mega projects: Fostering strategic ambiguity, redundancy, and resilience. Transport Policy 2015, 44, 169 -178.
AMA StyleMendel Giezen, Willem Salet, Luca Bertolini. Adding value to the decision-making process of mega projects: Fostering strategic ambiguity, redundancy, and resilience. Transport Policy. 2015; 44 ():169-178.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMendel Giezen; Willem Salet; Luca Bertolini. 2015. "Adding value to the decision-making process of mega projects: Fostering strategic ambiguity, redundancy, and resilience." Transport Policy 44, no. : 169-178.
The paper introduces the challenges of this theme issue with regards to the dilemmas of political governance in upcoming urban peripheries. While becoming more and more topical in processes of urban transition and ongoing rescaling, urban peripheries struggle with the gap between the potential of new centrality and the consolidated sociopolitical marginality. The authors highlight the dilemmas of transforming subjects in the urban periphery positioned in asymmetric contexts of political power (the central city, the state, and the market). Furthermore, they set the agenda for the investigation of politically constructing cross-border planning within metropolitan areas.
Willem Salet; Federico Savini. The political governance of urban peripheries. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 2015, 33, 448 -456.
AMA StyleWillem Salet, Federico Savini. The political governance of urban peripheries. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy. 2015; 33 (3):448-456.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWillem Salet; Federico Savini. 2015. "The political governance of urban peripheries." Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 33, no. 3: 448-456.
Willem Salet; Rick Vermeulen; Federico Savini; Sebastian Dembski; Alain Thierstein; Peter Nears; Bart Vink; Patsy Healey; Ursula Stein; Henrik Schultz. Planning for the new European metropolis: functions, politics, and symbols/Metropolitan regions: functional relations between the core and the periphery/Business investment decisions and spatial planning policy/Metropolitan challenges, political responsibilities/Spatial imaginaries, urban dynamics and political community/Capacity-building in the city region: creating common spaces/Which challenges for today's European metropolitan spaces? Planning Theory & Practice 2015, 16, 251 -275.
AMA StyleWillem Salet, Rick Vermeulen, Federico Savini, Sebastian Dembski, Alain Thierstein, Peter Nears, Bart Vink, Patsy Healey, Ursula Stein, Henrik Schultz. Planning for the new European metropolis: functions, politics, and symbols/Metropolitan regions: functional relations between the core and the periphery/Business investment decisions and spatial planning policy/Metropolitan challenges, political responsibilities/Spatial imaginaries, urban dynamics and political community/Capacity-building in the city region: creating common spaces/Which challenges for today's European metropolitan spaces? Planning Theory & Practice. 2015; 16 (2):251-275.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWillem Salet; Rick Vermeulen; Federico Savini; Sebastian Dembski; Alain Thierstein; Peter Nears; Bart Vink; Patsy Healey; Ursula Stein; Henrik Schultz. 2015. "Planning for the new European metropolis: functions, politics, and symbols/Metropolitan regions: functional relations between the core and the periphery/Business investment decisions and spatial planning policy/Metropolitan challenges, political responsibilities/Spatial imaginaries, urban dynamics and political community/Capacity-building in the city region: creating common spaces/Which challenges for today's European metropolitan spaces?" Planning Theory & Practice 16, no. 2: 251-275.
In this paper we question the political and financial drivers of urban development in the contemporary context of multiactor and multilevel governance. We focus on the processes that drive spatial planning and large-scale development projects in the inner periphery of three metropolitan areas: Amsterdam, Paris, and Milan. Peripheral development is conceptualized as the outcome of the realignment of three major sources of urban power: the national government, the core city, and large market investors. Early research has largely demonstrated how each of these elements influences metropolitan transformations, often separately, with special focus on economic logics of development. We propose to instead empirically investigate the political drivers of the changing relationship between these three powers. Focusing on three particular projects, we show how different spatial outcomes of peripheral development spring from a particular articulation of the relationship between the three sources of power. These relationships are pinned over electoral strategies of power consolidation, political confrontation between emerging parties, and their (dis)connections with business interests.
Federico Savini; Stan Majoor; Willem Salet. Urban peripheries: reflecting on politics and projects in Amsterdam, Milan, and Paris. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 2015, 33, 457 -474.
AMA StyleFederico Savini, Stan Majoor, Willem Salet. Urban peripheries: reflecting on politics and projects in Amsterdam, Milan, and Paris. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy. 2015; 33 (3):457-474.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFederico Savini; Stan Majoor; Willem Salet. 2015. "Urban peripheries: reflecting on politics and projects in Amsterdam, Milan, and Paris." Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 33, no. 3: 457-474.
Willem Salet. The Ladder of Sustainable Urbanization. disP - The Planning Review 2014, 50, 4 -5.
AMA StyleWillem Salet. The Ladder of Sustainable Urbanization. disP - The Planning Review. 2014; 50 (4):4-5.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWillem Salet. 2014. "The Ladder of Sustainable Urbanization." disP - The Planning Review 50, no. 4: 4-5.
Harry T. Dimitriou; Nicholas Low; Sophie Sturup; Genevieve Zembri; Elisabeth Campagnac; George Kaparos; Pantoleon Skayannis; Yasunori Muromachi; Seiji Iwakura; Kazuya Itaya; Mendel Giezen; Luca Bertolini; Willem Salet; Jamil Khan; Fredrik Petterson; Bengt Holmberg; E. John Ward; Phil G. Wright; Fredrik Pettersson. What constitutes a “successful” mega transport project?/Leadership, risk and storylines: The case of the Sydney Cross City Tunnel/The case of the LGV Méditerranée high speed railway line/Dealing with context and uncertainty in the development of the Athens Metro Base Project/What constitutes a “successful” mega transport project? Lessons from the Metropolitan Expressway in Tokyo/The RandstadRail project: A case study in decision-making strategies under uncertainty/Constructive conflicts in the case of the Öresund Link/Perspectives on “success” from the UK Channel Tunnel Rail Link Project/Some concluding remarks. Planning Theory & Practice 2014, 15, 389 -430.
AMA StyleHarry T. Dimitriou, Nicholas Low, Sophie Sturup, Genevieve Zembri, Elisabeth Campagnac, George Kaparos, Pantoleon Skayannis, Yasunori Muromachi, Seiji Iwakura, Kazuya Itaya, Mendel Giezen, Luca Bertolini, Willem Salet, Jamil Khan, Fredrik Petterson, Bengt Holmberg, E. John Ward, Phil G. Wright, Fredrik Pettersson. What constitutes a “successful” mega transport project?/Leadership, risk and storylines: The case of the Sydney Cross City Tunnel/The case of the LGV Méditerranée high speed railway line/Dealing with context and uncertainty in the development of the Athens Metro Base Project/What constitutes a “successful” mega transport project? Lessons from the Metropolitan Expressway in Tokyo/The RandstadRail project: A case study in decision-making strategies under uncertainty/Constructive conflicts in the case of the Öresund Link/Perspectives on “success” from the UK Channel Tunnel Rail Link Project/Some concluding remarks. Planning Theory & Practice. 2014; 15 (3):389-430.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHarry T. Dimitriou; Nicholas Low; Sophie Sturup; Genevieve Zembri; Elisabeth Campagnac; George Kaparos; Pantoleon Skayannis; Yasunori Muromachi; Seiji Iwakura; Kazuya Itaya; Mendel Giezen; Luca Bertolini; Willem Salet; Jamil Khan; Fredrik Petterson; Bengt Holmberg; E. John Ward; Phil G. Wright; Fredrik Pettersson. 2014. "What constitutes a “successful” mega transport project?/Leadership, risk and storylines: The case of the Sydney Cross City Tunnel/The case of the LGV Méditerranée high speed railway line/Dealing with context and uncertainty in the development of the Athens Metro Base Project/What constitutes a “successful” mega transport project? Lessons from the Metropolitan Expressway in Tokyo/The RandstadRail project: A case study in decision-making strategies under uncertainty/Constructive conflicts in the case of the Öresund Link/Perspectives on “success” from the UK Channel Tunnel Rail Link Project/Some concluding remarks." Planning Theory & Practice 15, no. 3: 389-430.
Willem Salet. Jumping on the Bandwagon. disP - The Planning Review 2014, 50, 4 -5.
AMA StyleWillem Salet. Jumping on the Bandwagon. disP - The Planning Review. 2014; 50 (3):4-5.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWillem Salet. 2014. "Jumping on the Bandwagon." disP - The Planning Review 50, no. 3: 4-5.
It needed the cooperation of very experienced researchers in urban political governance to address the all-embracing theme of thirty years governance in four of the largest city-regions of the globe: London, New York, Paris and Tokyo. The title of the book Struggling Giants already reveals the elusive nature of the subject. Governability of mega cities is not a matter of straight authority but a pluralistic contest of public and private sector influence at all levels of scale. The authors wis...
Willem Salet. Paul Kantor, Christian Lefèvre, Asato Saito, H. V. Savitch, Andy Thornley, Struggling Giants. City-Region Governance in London, New York, Paris, and Tokyo. Métropoles 2014, 1 .
AMA StyleWillem Salet. Paul Kantor, Christian Lefèvre, Asato Saito, H. V. Savitch, Andy Thornley, Struggling Giants. City-Region Governance in London, New York, Paris, and Tokyo. Métropoles. 2014; (14):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWillem Salet. 2014. "Paul Kantor, Christian Lefèvre, Asato Saito, H. V. Savitch, Andy Thornley, Struggling Giants. City-Region Governance in London, New York, Paris, and Tokyo." Métropoles , no. 14: 1.
Willem Salet; Bernd Scholl; Rick Vermeulen. Relocating Centers of Urban Activity in the Urban Periphery? disP - The Planning Review 2014, 50, 4 -5.
AMA StyleWillem Salet, Bernd Scholl, Rick Vermeulen. Relocating Centers of Urban Activity in the Urban Periphery? disP - The Planning Review. 2014; 50 (2):4-5.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWillem Salet; Bernd Scholl; Rick Vermeulen. 2014. "Relocating Centers of Urban Activity in the Urban Periphery?" disP - The Planning Review 50, no. 2: 4-5.
Since the 1980s, investment in exhibition center infrastructure in Western Europe has followed a divergent pattern. On one hand, investment in the extension and renewal of historical inner-city facilities, dominant in earlier decades, continued while on the other hand many new venues were created in the periphery of European metropolises, thereby breaking with the earlier pattern. This paper tries to explain these contradictory developments by developing its own theoretical model based on path dependency theories. This model is used to analyze recent spatial strategies of two centrally located facilities in Frankfurt and Amsterdam and two recently constructed peripheral complexes in Munich and Milan. It is concluded that differences can only be accounted for through historically developed and locally specific opportunities and limitations that manifest themselves in the dimensions of physical form, function, spatial embeddedness and institutional setting.
Rick Vermeulen; Willem Salet; Stan Majoor. Locating Exhibition Centers. disP - The Planning Review 2014, 50, 6 -17.
AMA StyleRick Vermeulen, Willem Salet, Stan Majoor. Locating Exhibition Centers. disP - The Planning Review. 2014; 50 (2):6-17.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRick Vermeulen; Willem Salet; Stan Majoor. 2014. "Locating Exhibition Centers." disP - The Planning Review 50, no. 2: 6-17.
Willem Salet. Building with Nature. disP - The Planning Review 2014, 50, 4 -5.
AMA StyleWillem Salet. Building with Nature. disP - The Planning Review. 2014; 50 (1):4-5.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWillem Salet. 2014. "Building with Nature." disP - The Planning Review 50, no. 1: 4-5.
Adaptation to climate change necessitates serious adjustments to the spatial organization of our environment. However, the uncertainties, the controversial character of the climate debate, the variety of climate change consequences and the inherently complex character of climate change puts specific demands on adapting spatial planning to climate change. Due to these characteristics of climate change, climate adaptation demands “adaptive spatial planning”. One of the main challenges is to balance between a robust and a flexible approach. On the one hand adaptive spatial planning tries to enable social and economic functions to flourish. On the other hand flexibility is required in finding creative combinations between the fulfillment of climate adaptation and other spatial interests. In this article we reconsider the strategic departure points for spatial planning (norms, values and principles), the interactive organization of planning processes, and the allocation of responsibilities, costs and benefits in planning processes which in our view constitute adaptive spatial planning practices in the context of climate change.
Arwin van Buuren; Peter P.J. Driessen; Marleen van Rijswick; Piet Rietveld; Willem Salet; Tejo Spit; Geert Teisman. Towards Adaptive Spatial Planning for Climate Change: Balancing Between Robustness and Flexibility. Journal for European Environmental & Planning Law 2013, 10, 29 -53.
AMA StyleArwin van Buuren, Peter P.J. Driessen, Marleen van Rijswick, Piet Rietveld, Willem Salet, Tejo Spit, Geert Teisman. Towards Adaptive Spatial Planning for Climate Change: Balancing Between Robustness and Flexibility. Journal for European Environmental & Planning Law. 2013; 10 (1):29-53.
Chicago/Turabian StyleArwin van Buuren; Peter P.J. Driessen; Marleen van Rijswick; Piet Rietveld; Willem Salet; Tejo Spit; Geert Teisman. 2013. "Towards Adaptive Spatial Planning for Climate Change: Balancing Between Robustness and Flexibility." Journal for European Environmental & Planning Law 10, no. 1: 29-53.
This article intends to start a debate on the authentic disciplinary grounds of spatial planning studies as a scientific discipline of spatial intervention closely interrelated with practices of spatial development. In a volatile epoch of regrouping academic specializations, scientists feel a strong incentive to reflect on the authentic grounds of their discipline. This certainly goes for spatial planning studies that heavily rely on intensive interaction with a wide range of disciplines. What justifies its own position? Spatial planning studies are intensely interrelated with practices of planning, which demarcates its scientific position in a specific way. The author does not claim an exclusive position for spatial planning studies (the diversity of external relations and alliances enriches the field of study) but defines the authentic identity of the spatial planning discipline in the conceptual coherence of five dimensions: practical context, spatial norms, knowledge and action, to be validated in new contexts of practice. The author states that different planning paradigms interconnect the five dimensions in their own way and in doing so innovate the authentic body of planning knowledge. To invest in this authenticity is crucial in this era of organizational proliferation.
Willem Salet. The Authenticity of Spatial Planning Knowledge. European Planning Studies 2012, 22, 293 -305.
AMA StyleWillem Salet. The Authenticity of Spatial Planning Knowledge. European Planning Studies. 2012; 22 (2):293-305.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWillem Salet. 2012. "The Authenticity of Spatial Planning Knowledge." European Planning Studies 22, no. 2: 293-305.
How should one cope with complexity and uncertainty in mega infrastructure projects? While rational theories tend to eliminate or reduce these unruly conditions, the authors of this article are in search of a different approach to deal with the characteristics of complexity and uncertainty proactively. Three theoretical reflections are introduced to explore possible solutions: (1) the change of institutions to address the problem of excessively simple structures for making decisions on complex projects; (2) the shaping of a learning environment in order to deal with uncertainty and emergent properties; and (3) balancing the generation and the reduction of a variety of policy options in order to select a limited number of feasible options and to bridge the strategic exploration and the operational processes of decision making. Informed by this conceptual thought, concrete pathways are developed and discussed by means of a case study of the construction of a high‐speed railway line in the Netherlands. Résumé Comment doit‐on gérer complexité et incertitude dans le cadre de mégaprojets d'infrastructure? Tandis que les théories rationnelles ont tendance àéliminer ou à minorer ces circonstances incontrôlées, cet article recherche une approche différente pour aborder les caractéristiques de la complexité et de l'incertitude de manière proactive. Trois axes de réflexion théorique sont présentés: la transformation des institutions, pour résoudre le problème des structures extrêmement simples confrontées à des décisions sur des projets complexes; la configuration d'un environnement d'apprentissage, pour faire face à l'incertitude et aux nouveaux éléments; l'équilibrage entre génération et réduction des diverses possibilités d'action publique, afin de sélectionner un nombre restreint d'options réalisables et d'harmoniser recherche de stratégies et processus décisionnels opérationnels. À partir de cette réflexion conceptuelle, des voies concrètes sont développées et analysées à travers une étude de cas sur la construction d'une ligne ferroviaire à grande vitesse aux Pays‐Bas.
Willem Salet; Luca Bertolini; Mendel Giezen. Complexity and Uncertainty: Problem or Asset in Decision Making of Mega Infrastructure Projects? International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 2012, 37, 1984 -2000.
AMA StyleWillem Salet, Luca Bertolini, Mendel Giezen. Complexity and Uncertainty: Problem or Asset in Decision Making of Mega Infrastructure Projects? International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. 2012; 37 (6):1984-2000.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWillem Salet; Luca Bertolini; Mendel Giezen. 2012. "Complexity and Uncertainty: Problem or Asset in Decision Making of Mega Infrastructure Projects?" International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 37, no. 6: 1984-2000.
Marleen Van Rijswick; Willem Salet. Enabling the Contextualization of Legal Rules in Responsive Strategies to Climate Change. Ecology and Society 2012, 17, 1 .
AMA StyleMarleen Van Rijswick, Willem Salet. Enabling the Contextualization of Legal Rules in Responsive Strategies to Climate Change. Ecology and Society. 2012; 17 (2):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarleen Van Rijswick; Willem Salet. 2012. "Enabling the Contextualization of Legal Rules in Responsive Strategies to Climate Change." Ecology and Society 17, no. 2: 1.
Willem Salet; Rene Boer. Commentary: Comparing the Use and Valuation of Journals between U.S. and European Planning Scholars. Journal of Planning Education and Research 2011, 31, 95 -97.
AMA StyleWillem Salet, Rene Boer. Commentary: Comparing the Use and Valuation of Journals between U.S. and European Planning Scholars. Journal of Planning Education and Research. 2011; 31 (1):95-97.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWillem Salet; Rene Boer. 2011. "Commentary: Comparing the Use and Valuation of Journals between U.S. and European Planning Scholars." Journal of Planning Education and Research 31, no. 1: 95-97.
Planners use symbolic markers in order to frame processes of urban change and to mobilise actors. How can we explain the fact that in some cases the symbolisation of new urban spaces manages to enhance and enlarge the meaning of social change while in other cases the symbolic markers remain powerless and might even have a reverse effect? The authors doubt whether the sophistication of symbolic markers as such has much impact. The explanation for the success or failure of symbolic communication is sought within the framework of institutional embedding. This conceptual paper attempts to elaborate institutions' transformative potential through their use of symbols. To this end, it undertakes a reappraisal of institutional thought in order to conceptualise institutional transformation, the establishment of a conceptual linkage between the transformative potential of institutions and symbolic markers, and the design of an operational model of research for the institutional investigation of symbols in the planning of changing cities.
Sebastian Dembski; Willem Salet. The Transformative Potential of Institutions: How Symbolic Markers Can Institute New Social Meaning in Changing Cities. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space 2010, 42, 611 -625.
AMA StyleSebastian Dembski, Willem Salet. The Transformative Potential of Institutions: How Symbolic Markers Can Institute New Social Meaning in Changing Cities. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space. 2010; 42 (3):611-625.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSebastian Dembski; Willem Salet. 2010. "The Transformative Potential of Institutions: How Symbolic Markers Can Institute New Social Meaning in Changing Cities." Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space 42, no. 3: 611-625.