Berkeley Planning Journal

The world is undergoing radical change at the beginning of this new decade. As Professor Manuel Castells articulated in a keynote speech at the October meeting of the American Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP), the fall of communism and the rise of a global economy repre­ sent unparalleled changes in the world order and present new con­ cerns and opportunities for planners. Within the U.S., crisis often seems imminent these days, in light of infrastructure fiascoes, the growing number of homeless, increasing levels of crime, and the apparent likelihood of a recession, among other concerns. The local NBC-affiliate station recently broadcast a special report entitled "What's Wrong with the System?" which repeatedly pointed to planning failures. Indeed, the planning field may never before have faced challenges as great as those it faces today.