If we only “copy-paste”, not only do we miss out on organizational learning, but we limit ourselves to what is already known.

An experiment can evolve into learning, iteration, and continuous improvement.

Why work work in an agile way? One sometimes overlooked thing may be especially relevant for planning: learning.

#AgilePlanningAndLearning #AgileWorking "What if our language does not simply mirror or picture the world but instead profoundly shapes our view of it in the first place?" - Fischer & Forester, 1993, p.1 The above quotation in the context of planning makes us think: how important is language and what role does it have in constructing reality? Can it be used as a tool to change it? In prior posts, I have mentioned how the ideas behind an agile way of working resonate more with

#AgilePlanningAndLearning #AgileWorking In a prior post, I stated that agile must be implemented in an agile way. I stand by that idea, but I want to go deeper on this subject. Should we be trying to implement agile at all? Or, should we be encouraging an agile way of working? What is the difference? I will explain. We know that the ideas behind agile are what resonate with people, not what it has become known as in industry, the buzzword, or its implementations. Why is it th

#AgilePlanningAndLearning #WhyItMatters #Theory #AgileWorking In the previous post, I explained why I think the way of working matters for the human experience of cycling. This post will now propose why a learning, iteration, and people-centered way of working in planning departments matters for individual organizations, the field of urban planning, and the world. Collaboration, experimentation, reflection, flow of information, continuous improvement- these together are part

#AgilePlanningAndLearning #WhyItMatters #Theory #AgileWorking In the previous post, I outlined why I think human experience matters for cycling practitioners. This post will make the connection between human experience and an agile way of working in planning organizations. Designing for cycling experience means putting people at the center of the street design process to make streets where people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds can ride a bike. In order to develop bicy

#AgileWorking My master's thesis examined the way of working in the Bicycle Program of the Municipality of Amsterdam, critically exploring an agile approach. I found that there is potential for a reflective and responsive way of working in planning departments (see conclusions of a series of blog posts here), and that it is already partially happening in Amsterdam. Doing the research brought up several questions, and I think there is still a lot more to explore. I will outlin

#AgilePlanningAndLearning #AgileWorking For all the potential of the ideas behind agile, there is no shortage of issues with trying to implement them in practice. In many cases, agile is ironically implemented in a non-agile way. Let's take a look at an example of one person's experience (from an online discussion): Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5406384 (paragraphs 1-4) This person is clearly frustrated, and there are a few things I want to look at here. First,