May 1, 2024
Updated May 9, 2025
19 minute read
Planning, in its broadest sense, is the process of thinking about and organizing the activities required to achieve a desired goal. It involves the creation and maintenance of a plan, which is a set of intended actions, usually mutually related, through which one expects to achieve a goal. Planning is a fundamental human activity, integral to personal development, business success, and the functioning of societies. From mapping out your career to designing a city, planning provides a framework for envisioning a future and outlining the steps to reach it.
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Reading list
We've selected 33 books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
Planning.
This textbook provides an in-depth introduction to the factors influencing urban planning today, including political, economic, and environmental aspects. The 12th edition tackles recent issues like climate change, affordable housing, and public participation, making it highly relevant for understanding contemporary planning challenges. It is commonly used as a textbook in urban planning programs.
The PMBOK Guide foundational reference for project management, outlining standard processes, methods, and practices. While focused on projects, its principles are highly applicable to various planning endeavors. This must-have reference for anyone involved in project-based planning and is widely recognized and used by professionals globally.
Delves into the core of what constitutes good and bad strategy, offering clear frameworks for analysis and formulation. It helps to deepen understanding of strategic planning principles, moving beyond buzzwords to practical application. It's a highly recommended read for anyone involved in strategic decision-making.
A seminal work in urban planning, this book critically examines post-war urban renewal policies and advocates for diverse, vibrant, and human-scaled cities. While focused on urban environments, its insights into community dynamics and the unintended consequences of planning are broadly relevant. This is considered a classic and provides essential historical context for urban planning discussions.
Written by a former FBI hostage negotiator, this book offers practical and effective negotiation strategies applicable in high-stakes situations. It's a valuable resource for anyone whose planning involves complex negotiations and conflict resolution. It is considered a must-read in the field of negotiation.
Widely-used guide to strategic planning specifically tailored for public and nonprofit sectors. It provides a structured approach to developing and implementing strategic plans, essential for understanding planning in an organizational context. It is commonly used as a textbook in relevant academic programs and useful reference tool for professionals.
Details how government policies in the United States created and maintained racial segregation. It's essential reading for understanding the historical context of contemporary urban planning challenges related to equity and social justice. It highlights the long-lasting impacts of past planning decisions and the importance of considering social equity in current planning efforts.
Presents a collection of actionable solutions to address climate change, a critical contemporary planning issue. It moves beyond identifying problems to proposing concrete strategies, offering valuable insights for environmental planning and sustainability efforts. It's a key resource for those interested in climate action and planning.
This textbook provides a comprehensive overview of supply chain management, covering strategy, planning, and operations. It's a core resource for understanding planning within a business and logistics context, essential for those interested in operations and supply chain planning. It is widely used as a textbook in business and supply chain programs.
A book that provides a comprehensive overview of environmental planning and management. It covers different environmental planning theories and approaches and how they have been applied to environmental planning.
A book that provides a comprehensive overview of urban planning theory. It covers different planning theories and approaches and how they have been applied to urban planning.
While focused on startups, this book's principles of iterative development, validated learning, and adaptive planning are highly applicable to planning in dynamic and uncertain environments. It's a must-read for those interested in agile planning methodologies and innovation.
This influential book argues that the conventional planning practice of requiring ample free parking has detrimental effects on cities, including increased traffic congestion and reduced urban vitality. It's a key text in contemporary urban planning debates, offering a critical perspective on a common planning issue. It's particularly useful for those focusing on transportation and land use planning.
A book that provides a comprehensive overview of transport planning and traffic engineering. It covers different transport planning theories and approaches and how they have been applied to transport planning.
Provides a foundational understanding of systems thinking, which is crucial for comprehending the interconnectedness of various elements in any planning process. It's an excellent starting point for gaining a broad understanding of how different parts of a system interact and influence outcomes, applicable across diverse planning domains. It can serve as prerequisite reading for anyone new to complex problem-solving.
Explores the organized efforts to obstruct action on climate change and provides strategies for countering them. It's highly relevant to contemporary environmental planning, highlighting the political and social challenges involved in implementing climate solutions. It provides important context for planners working on climate resilience and mitigation.
Effective planning often involves negotiation and reaching agreements with various stakeholders. This classic book provides a principled approach to negotiation, focusing on finding mutually beneficial solutions. It's essential reading for anyone whose planning activities require collaboration and consensus-building.
Examines how companies can build resilient supply chains and operations to withstand disruptions. It's highly relevant to contemporary planning concerns around risk management and business continuity, particularly in a volatile global environment. It offers valuable insights for planning for unexpected events.
Offers a comprehensive history of urban planning ideas and movements throughout the 20th century. It provides crucial context for understanding the evolution of planning thought and its impact on urban development. It's a valuable resource for students and professionals seeking a deeper historical perspective on planning.
Is written in German and provides a comprehensive overview of planning in organizations. It covers the different types of planning, the steps involved in the planning process, and various frameworks or methods for carrying this out.
A classic book on planning that provides a unique perspective on the planning process. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the context of planning and the need for flexibility in planning.
A book that focuses on planning and forecasting in business. It covers different forecasting methods and how to use them to make better decisions.
Offers a comprehensive introduction to the policies, theory, and practice of planning within the United States. It covers land use, urban planning, and environmental protection policies, explaining the nature of the planning process. This valuable resource for gaining a broad understanding of the institutional and procedural aspects of planning, particularly in an American context.
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