From the editor

Abstract

In 1980, the editor of the Journal of the American Planning Assosiation asked some professors in urban planning: “What will be the major planning issues in the world by the year 2000?” The reply was something completely different than people expected at that time. They all mentioned that migration will change planning. In the ‘old days’, migration meant that people moved from one part of the world to another and, within three generations, had acculturated to their new country. They had learned their new country’s language, because it was necessary in order to integrate. The advent of the information technology resulted in people objecting to this integration. They listened to their ‘home’ radio station, watched familiar old TV shows in their country of origin, and could phone back ‘home’ at any time of the day. Contact with their former culture did not gradually disappear, as in the past, and the children did not learn the new country’s language well enough. Ultimately, the new country held nationals who did not understand the language well enough in order to integrate on all levels, while new types of ethnic cities (such as the famous ‘Chinatowns’), each with its own language and customs, gained a foothold in the new country. It is no wonder that Patsy Healey, with her communicative planning, wants to address issues such as “living together, but acting differently” in England and elsewhere. The issue is that people move to new places, but do not integrate into their new country in the long run. South Africa also experiences the inflow of different groups of people from developing countries.