Towards critical language awareness in transportation planning : a case study of practical-communicative action in practice

Abstract

Abstract of a thesis investigating the practical-communicative nature of a consultation planning practice. Public consultation about resource planning matters has increased in recent years, and the introduction of the Resource Management Act is, at least in part, responsible for this trend. This research involves a case study analysis of a public transportation planning practice. A specially constructed analysis model is employed to analyse the practice of discussion document consultation.

An interpretation of John Forester's modelling of planning as practical-communicative action, focusing on his progressive planner mode of critical language awareness, is presented. Forester's theoretical work is utilised to construct a framework suitable for the purpose of analysing the practical-communicative nature of a planning practice. The methodological prescriptions of a context sensitive form of discourse analysis are grafted onto this theoretical framework. The resulting modified analysis model, called a relaxed discourse analysis, employs four distinct yet linked analysis criteria to investigate the contextual nature of the planning practice. This Foresterian influenced discourse analysis model is used to analyse the communicative performance of the discussion document.

The analysis showed the discussion document performs an undisclosed control and exclusion function, yet produced no significant misinformation and did not appear to distort the consultation process. However, some specific aspects relating to information presentation were identified as potentially contributing to communication distortions. These aspects are discussed and evaluated.