Annotated Bibliography

Swain, C. & Tait, M. (2007). The Crisis of Trust and Planning. Planning Theory
& Practice, 8(2), 229-247. doi: 10.1080/14649350701324458

Two scholars of town and regional planning, Swain and Tait, investigate in this
article, the implications of assumptions of mistrust of professions and professionals
especially in the United Kingdom. They identify the interplay between four types of
trust, and four main hypotheses arising from societal dynamism and evolution, as
underlying the “crisis of trust”, and call for more attention on this concern.

Trust, in the context of this article and its implications for planning, is an emerging
concern. To better understand it, the authors provide a conceptual table, and
arguments of seasoned scholars to illustrate the typologies of unilateral, personal,
knowledgeable and abstract trust, and delineate their interaction, with the
hypotheses of rise of the risk society, rise of the pluralistic society, rise of the rights-
based society and rise of advanced liberalism.

They argue that change in the characteristics and patterns of these hypotheses,
impacts negatively on the typologies of trust, bring about increase in demand for
accountability and audit, and by implication, distrust of professions and professional
abilities. Comparatively they argue, planning in practice unlike some professions
guided by codes of conduct, is diverse and multifaceted, and inevitably require the
integration of other skills, disciplines and groups, in a complex process, to achieve its
aim. Consequently, proficiency in planning can only be appraised subjectively by
outcomes of planning process. In the circumstance where trust is perceived to be
lacking in interpersonal relationships as well as in the ability of institutions to deliver
benefits, it is uncertain where to place planning in terms of personal, knowledgeable
and abstract trust.

This article is shrouded in uncertainties and can best be described as a wakeup call
for students and practitioners in development planning. Although it is limited in
scope, it also subtly raises the question of professionalism and integrity and
highlights the burden of trust.

It is deducible that as society changes, and technology and planning theory evolves;
trust also undergoes transmutation, with different constructions of meaning and
understanding, depending on one’s interpretation. This further amplifies the import
and implication of trust in planning practice and calls for further research and debate.

Winifred Emeka-Okolie
Student Number 42567044