Transparency, flexibility, simplicity: from buzzwords to strategies for real PSS improvement

There is a growing body of academic literature that deals with the gap between Planning Support Systems (PSS) and daily urban planning practices. Although there are many theoretical ideas about how to improve this situation, there is only limited academic attention for testing these in real world applications. This article discusses the importance of such testing and how this can be done. Four central PSS hypothesized improvement mechanisms are translated into a grounded intervention and tested in three settings of land use and transport strategy-making in the Netherlands. I utilised workshop specific questionnaires, a general ex-post survey and participatory observation. Although small-N, the results seem to indicate a tentative pattern that the hypothesized improvement mechanisms did improve several of the bottlenecks of PSS implementation defined in other studies: it provided a better fit between the PSS characteristics and the strategy-making processes, it increased understanding of the possibilities (and limitations) of PSS and it fostered acceptance (awareness and transparency were only marginally influenced). Important mechanisms for promoting these outcomes include an open constructive critical attitude of both PSS developers and planners, a prototyping process, and placing emphasis on externalisation and internalisation of knowledge. This research example illustrates both the added value of the findings and the methodological problems of a practice oriented research approach. The paper closes with a discussion on the implications for PSS research methods, PSS development and planning and will provide directions for further research.