How do public planners perceive their scope of action?

Abstract

Agency and structure are frequently identified as crucial determinants in shaping planning policies, although in-depth insights into the agency of individuals remain scarce. This article studies how public sector employees working in the field of planning perceive their own scope of action, understood as their ability to affect plans and policies. The study builds on empirical data collected through an online survey featuring a Q methodology sorting exercise to which 104 civil servants from Finland responded. The data reveals four clusters of respondents with similar sorting patterns: “collaborative administrators”, “frustrated workers”, “active experts” and “individualist innovators”. These clusters are characterized by differences regarding the perceived importance of individual initiative, collaboration and structure. When contrasting these groups against planner archetypes defined in the literature, it seems that some characteristics of doers, bureaucrats and entrepreneurs can be found among Finnish planners. However, the results also highlight a rarely addressed dimension related to satisfaction with work. While most respondents are content with their own scope of action and confident about their own contribution, a group of “frustrated workers” is evident: planners who are dissatisfied with their work and impact. Within this group are a significant number of women who are relatively new to the planning profession. The findings suggest that the dimension of satisfaction/frustration among planners, and public servants in general, warrants further investigation, as it might provide new insights into the complex processes of policy development and decision making in planning.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Cities, 2026 · DOI ↗