How do policy professionals learn best practices? Lecture by Richard Tomlinson, April 29

April 25, 2013

Professor Richard Tomlinson, chair of Urban Planning in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning at the University of Melbourne, will present a discussion on Monday, April 29, “The Prescriptive Character of Best Practice Knowledge Products: A ‘Slum’ Upgrading Case Study.” The lecture will begin at 5:00 p.m. and be held in room 369 of the Civic Square Building, 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick.

This talk is based on the view that policy professionals are considerably influenced by Web-based searches and social media communications that lead to the identification of best practice policy documents. Dr. Tomlinson argues that there is a prescriptive quality to best practice when it is “certified” by the World Bank, MIT, and one’s professional associations; and when this occurs in the context of, it is argued, a decline in critical thinking. The article answers commonly encountered questions: ‘What’s new about best practice?’ and ‘Why anticipate a decline in critical thinking?’. The article continues with inquiries into ‘Knowledge and the can and should of best practice’ and ‘Whose knowledge?’ However, since the interpretation of these views is so clouded by the perception of bias, he starts by explaining the focus on, rather than the bias against, the World Bank and associated organisations. The case study is slum upgrading and knowledge products for policy professionals in the Global South.

Dr.  Tomlinson teaches international ‘best practice’ and planning processes, urbanisation and comparative governance, and housing and services. His research and publications include articles and books on policy processes, housing and services, search engine optimisation and the implications for urban policy, and mega-events and urban economic development. He is the editor of a new book, Australia’s Unintended Cities: the Impact of Housing on Urban Development. He received his PhD from the Bloustein School in Urban Planning in 1981.

 

Recent Posts

NJSPL Report: Analyzing the Use and Equity of ARPA Funds

Report Release: Analyzing the Use and Equity of ARPA Funds in NJ Local Governments and Beyond New Jersey State Policy Lab The American Rescue Plan Act’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (ARPA-SLFRF) represent a historic $350 billion investment to...

Dr. Grafova Presented Posters from the VSR Research

Dr. Irina Grafova recently returned from the AcademyHealth Research Meeting in Minneapolis, where she had the opportunity to present two posters from the Virtual Schwartz Rounds emotional support program for nurses, run by the New Jersey Nursing Emotional Well-being...

Heldrich Report: Analysis of NJ Life Sciences, Tech Sectors

The Heldrich Center, in conjunction with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), is pleased to share a new workforce analysis of the life sciences and technology sectors in New Jersey, with a particular emphasis on the sectors’ intersection with...

Restrepo-Mieth Researches Tree Inventories in Galápagos, Ecuador

Who wants a tree inventory and why? The politics of inventorying urban forestry in Galápagos, Ecuador Abstract Trees make significant contributions to the urban experience by providing ecosystem services and aesthetic value. Considering these contributions, cities are...

NJSPL: Georeferencing Historical Maps for Geospatial Analysis

New Jersey State Policy Lab, Jonathan DeLura Our project to create a dataset of historical water bodies in New Jersey began by finding maps of historical water bodies. Two atlases were used to locate historical water bodies in New Jersey. The first was Atlas of the...