Boundedness and legitimacy in public planning

This article has two objectives: (1) to map some of the structural limitations to scientific or rational public planning; and (2) to explore the implications of this for a reconceptualization of the legitimacy of public planning. It is argued that some of the limitations to planning are inherent to the planning process in the sense that they cannot be fully mitigated through the refinement of procedures. They come to represent sources of “basic boundedness” that have to be addressed through a radical reinterpretation of the policy process itself. He is currently engaged in a project on systems risks and insurance issues associated with nuclear disasters. The author is especially indebted to Professor Aant Elzinga and Merle Jacob at Gothenburg University for input on this article.