Urban policy in the field of wicked problems

Subject Areas : Urban policy

Rahim Sarvar ¹ , Mohammad Ali Khaliji ²

1 - Professor, Department of Geography, Tehran Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 - Department of Urban planning, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran

Received: 2021-08-01 Accepted : 2021-09-03 Published : 2021-04-21

Keywords: urban policy, Urban Development, Institutional Capacities, Governance, wicked problems,

Abstract :

Urban systems are complex probabilistic systems, and most of their problems, despite their simplicity, are complex and multifaceted problems rooted in political, historical, geographical, and economic structures over time. Therefore, rethinking the way of looking at urban issues and their correct policy-making is one of the issues that need to be considered. The main purpose of this article, while introducing the nature of complex issues, is to provide tested frameworks for their policy-making. The research method is documentary-analytical and its findings show that according to theoretical findings and practical experiences in most countries and cities, effective methods for solving complex problems of an expanding art that is very important in urban management. Therefore, paying attention to the policy frameworks enumerated in this study, along with paying attention to the capacities of good urban governance, will provide a reassuring basis for the correct and redefining of urban issues and their successful policy-making.Extended Abstract Introduction The most important and perhaps the most fundamental issue in the public policy process is problematics. It is necessary to identify and examine the issue from there whether the existing issue is a public issue and whether it can be included in the agenda of policy makers? It is important because if an issue is not properly identified and for various reasons, including personal and group interests, is preferred to more important and influential public issues, or if it is misunderstood, it will not only affect the effectiveness of the policy system. It will also affect future policies; Because misunderstanding the issue affects its policy and will not produce the desired result. Therefore, it is necessary to study the process in which the issue is identified and placed on the policy agenda. Today, due to various reasons that will be mentioned below, most issues in the field of urban management and policy-making are not of the type of easy issues but of the type of seemingly easy but very complex issues that require recognition and analysis. And numerous analyzes are far from superficial, perhaps one reason for the complexity and then the unresolved many problems in urban centers and their simplification areas and the superficial approaches in providing problem-solving solutions, which often lead to The name of the problem is malignant or complicated. This article seeks to answer the question of what issues include urban policy in the field of complex issues and what is the solution?The term "malignant or complicated" is not used in this article to mean sinister, but as a subject that is difficult to resolve. The term was coined by HVG Rittel and MM Weber, both urban planning specialists at the University of California, Berkeley in 1973. In a crucial article, the two stated that the whole range of social planning issues can not be optimally examined with traditional linear and analytical approaches. They called these issues "complicated" issues and compared them to "easy" issues. Easy problems are not necessarily simple, they can even be technically very complex, but the problem can be precisely defined and a relatively immediate solution can be found. The initial emphasis of the literature on complex issues was on the design of systems at the "micro" level, but this concept was gradually applied to macro-socio-economic policy issues (Ballard, 2006). It is difficult to define complex issues precisely. The nature and scope of the problem depends on who we discuss it with, that is, different stakeholders have different perceptions of the nature of the problem. Often, there is an element of truth in every perception of policy-making. No impression is complete or definitively true or false. The discussion of the causes, scope, and strategies for controlling air pollution is a good example. Complex issues are highly interdependent and often have multiple causes. Often in a wide-ranging problem, there are goals that are internally conflicting. For example, there is a conflict between the goal of protecting privacy lands with the aim of transferring some of the disturbing urban uses to the privacy zone, or between providing informal housing services to control their growth. Interdependence, multiple causes, and internal conflict of goals related to complex issues have made it difficult to define them precisely. Disagreements among stakeholders often indicate different emphasis on different causal factors. Successful and successful review of complex policy issues usually involves a range of coherent and related responses, and given their multifaceted nature, this review often requires reconciliation between conflicting goals.MethodologyThe main approach of the research is based on documentary study and analytical method. The statistical population of the research includes scientific and research articles that are indexed and accessible in the field of public policy and complex issues. Then, focusing on urban policy in the field of complex issues, to extract the required data from the content analysis method, which included information including research topic and issue, researcher expertise, data analysis methods and techniques and the form or pattern studied. This study is qualitative and provides a clear assessment of key aspects of the public policy framework.Results and discussionIt is difficult to effectively solve complex policy issues using traditional methods used in the public sector. Traditional political thinking shows that the best way to solve a problem is to follow a regular linear process in which it ends with "addressing the problem and finding a solution. This process usually begins with understanding and defining the problem. This requires the collection and analysis of data and other evidence and consultation with stakeholders. Once the issue has been identified and the evidence and opinions of the stakeholders have been analyzed, a preferred one can be selected from the options. Outcomes and Outputs Identified, Execution Plans Designed, and Execution Objectives Identified It is often assumed that the more complex the issue, the more important it is to follow this flow regularly. However, the works and writings agree that the traditional linear approach to policy-making is not a good way to address complex policy issues. This is because part of the complexity of the issue lies in the interactions between causal factors, conflicting political goals, and disagreements about the appropriate solution. Linear thinking is not appropriate and cannot include such interaction and complexity. The weakness of the linear approach stems from the social complexity of complex issues. The truth is that a proper understanding of the issue usually requires the views of multiple organizations and stakeholders, and a package of measures known as social solutions usually requires that the participation, commitment and cooperation of multiple organizations and stakeholders be properly addressed. Solving complex problems requires clever thinking rather than linear thinking. It is thinking that is able to understand the main issue, such as the interrelationships between the full range of causal factors and policy objectives. Due to the nature of complex issues, our understanding of them is incomplete, so the scope of the initial planning, which is too narrow and limited, may lead us to not pay attention to the main point in solving the complex issue. "In solving complex problems and issues, there is always the possibility that their solution is too limited.ConclusionThe key issue is how to reach the common understanding that "the starting point is the participation of all stakeholders, including the public, public and private sectors, and civic institutions." The argument of all the works and theories of urban management and planning (participatory planning, communication theory, regionalism theory, good governance model, etc.) related to this field is that achieving "sustainable behavior change" is partial. The latest and highest level of trust and the development of government-citizen relations are essential for the effective resolution of complex issues. Achieving sustainable behavior change is usually a key component of solving complex problems because it is well established that the government can not expect change among different segments of citizens just by passing a law, preparing instructions, developing a plan, issuing a circular, and so on. There are many issues such as managerial divisions, diversity of laws, the growth of informal settlements, land grabbing, spatio-social segregation, the growth of poverty colonies, the growth of polluting industries, the continuation of migration, and the continuation of the housing problem and ... It requires evaluating the effectiveness and effectiveness of the policies and measures that have been implemented and evaluating the laws and policies that should have been implemented in order to approach the new areas of analysis and problem solving. Realize and change the way we look at how to manage issues and spaces from the national to the local level

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