Peter BateyEmeritus Professor of Town and Regional PlanningUniversity of Liverpool

1909

2009

Civic Design The world’s first university planning school

Footprints of Regional Science: Great Minds in Regional Science: Peter Hall

Sir Peter Hall, 1932-2014

Peter Hall’s New York Times obituary highlights one practical way in which he influenced public policy

August 6th 2014

Structure of presentation

• Introduction• What is regional science?• Regional science and regional studies: where

did Peter Hall fit in?• The many dimensions of Peter Hall• Lessons for regional science from Peter Hall

What is regional science?

• The current definition:Studies focusing on the region, including the utilization of tools, methods and theoretical frameworks, specifically designed for regional analysis as well as concepts, procedures and analytical techniques of the various social and other sciences.

• Isard’s 1975 textbook:Regional science is the analytical study of the development over time of meaningful spaces, such as , for example, urban areas, regions, districts, river basins and sub-continental masses.Regional science is a synthesis of the art of planning and management with the science of spatial systems.

Which definition best describes Peter Hall’s regional science?

Regional science and regional studies: where did Peter Hall fit in?

What sort of regional scientist was Peter Hall?

• Peter Hall was a member of the Regional Science Association but not an active one.

• As far as I am aware he never presented a paper at a European Congress or a British and Irish Section meeting.

• He never published in any of the journals with regional science in the title.

• Instead his loyalty was to the Regional Studies Association, and to the Town and Country Planning Association.

In the early 1960s, Walter Isard worked hard to extend the Regional Science Association in Europe. He established sections throughout the continent but founding a British Section proved more difficult.

His efforts initially misfired and led British academics and practitioners to found a rival organization, the Regional Studies Association.

The Regional Science Association

‘....Great Britain seems to be behind other nations in regional research. It seemed to us that in view of the interest that you and your department have in regional analysis, it would be logical for you and your department to assume the leadership in this matter, provided, of course, you folks are in a position to do so, and feel that such a step is desirable...’

Walter Isard, writing to Richard Stone, 4th January 1961

Isard wrote to Richard Stone at Cambridge inviting him to take the lead in founding a British Section

‘I think a British section of the RSA would be a good idea in principle but I do not know what the response would be and I do not feel able to take on the initial organising responsibilities. In England especially it is very important to get off on the right foot and I feel that for a proper response the local convener should be someone who is fairly and squarely a regional scientist. Interested as I am in the subject I cannot claim to be that’.

Richard Stone 9th February 1961

Richard Stone turns down Isard’s invitation to lead the formation of a British section:

After Stone declines Isard’s invitation, Isard approached others, including Donald Robertson at Glasgow. Eventually, in 1963, Isard settles on Gunther Hirsch (Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Oxford) as his main collaborator in his efforts to found a ‘British Isles Section’. He sends Hirsch a list of RSA members in Britain and together they make plans to hold an exploratory meeting in London in July 1964

Hirsch comments to Isard (25th May, 1964):

‘Outside a rather small circle of ‘initiated’ people, few know what regional science is, in any case in this country. As we intend to invite not only the ‘initiated’ but also those who might or should be interested, we would be grateful if you would choose as your topic ‘The International Situation in Regional Science’ and would give us an outline of what is being done in this field of study and how it can be applied in practice’

Isard recruits Gunther Hirsch

An invitation to a meeting at LSE to discuss the formation of a British Isles Section of the Regional Science Association

The invitation came from Gunther Hirsch, Leslie Jay and Nathaniel Lichfield, all of whom were early attendees at European Congresses of the RSA

The meeting took place on 11th July 1964, with Isard as the main speaker

Isard comments frankly to Richard Stone, 15th December 1965:‘....during the summer of 1964 and subsequently I visited England primarily to encourage the establishment of a British Isles section of the Regional Science Association. Unfortunately the initial stimuli proved too strong: a much larger and diverse group was brought together than had been anticipated. As a result a new association, the Regional Studies Association, was formed which comprises individuals who on the average are less ‘hard’ scientifically than I had hoped for. I am still hoping that we can form a British Isles section composed strictly of ‘hard’ analysts concerned with basic theoretical and empirical research.’

Isard determined to achieve his goal

• Isard is adamant that he wants to continue his effort to form a British Isles section, arguing that many younger, mathematically-minded, academics are dissatisfied with the ‘softer’ approach of the Regional Studies Association

• He enlists the support of Allen Scott who is shortly to return to Britain after working with Isard at Penn; he encourages Nathaniel Lichfield to lend support, despite his active involvement in the Regional Studies Association ‘project’

The Regional Studies Association

• Formed as a reaction against Walter Isard’s proposal to found a British Isles Section of the Regional Science Association.

• Combination of academics and academically-informed practitioners, with a descriptive, rather than analytical background.

• Policy context was changing rapidly in mid-1960s, presenting geographers and planners with opportunities to do innovative policy work.

Peter Hall takes on the role of Editor of Regional Studies, the journal of the newly-formed Regional Studies Association. He contributes a paper to the first issue, published in 1967.

The many dimensions of Peter Hall

Peter Hall

The accounts of Peter Hall variously describe him as a:

– Geographer– Urban Planner– Regional Planner– Historian– Futurist – Journalist– Polymath in city studies (Taylor)

Five intersections of a polymath (Taylor)

• Geography and Planning• Cities and State• Times and Spaces• Town/Country and City/Region• London and Globalization

Peter Hall as a social scientistPhelps et al provide a useful characterisation of Hall’s approach as a social scientist:• His approach has remained steadfastly an inductive one – of empirical

observation prior to generalisation and theory building – and one of practical application of that academic understanding.

• This inductive approach places Hall apart from his planning academic peers, since he has engaged comparatively little over the years with planning theory.

• Planning theory has addressed itself to a profound critique of the technocratic planning practised up to the 1970s. Peter Hall on the other hand has remained strongly attached to a rational-positivist, essentially systems theory, approach to planning as it was practised in the 1960s.

• This puts him apart from much writing in geography and other social sciences as someone less concerned with theory and critical analysis.

Peter Hall as a social scientist

• Peter Hall did much to foster the growth of regional science, especially at Reading in the 1960s and 1970s.

• Until the 1960s, planning in Britain was merely a professional activity - ‘architecture writ large’. Peter Hall was one of a small number of academics who successfully promoted the notion of planning as a social science, giving it academic respectability.

In 2012 a two-day symposium was held at University College London to mark Peter Hall’s 80th birthday. Invited speakers were asked to comment on each of Peter Hall’s books.

Peter Hall played an active role throughout the symposium giving every indication that yet more publications were to come.

The Planning Imagination (2014) was the product of the symposium.

A second book, produced separately, concentrates on Peter Hall’s contributions to regional planning, transport and urban geography. (2016)

The planning imagination

• Tewdwr Jones et al.’s book concludes that Peter Hall possessed the rare ability not only to define the main issues but also to recommend appropriate courses of action. They call this the planning imagination.

• Planning remains as an uncomfortable alter ego of the core disciplines (including geography and history) – a nagging voice imploring academics to think beyond the analytical to the normative question of ‘what is to be done’? (Phelps et al. 2014)

Peter Hall’s public policy profile Source: Knowles and Rozenblat (2016)

Peter Hall as a journalist• Unlike most social scientists whose research is mainly published in

journal articles, Peter Hall’s reputation is built upon his books and on an extensive collection of shorter journalistic pieces. These shorter pieces have often gathered the most significant policy impact (e.g. enterprise zones).

• In his own words: ‘I’ve spent much of my life as a journalist, as a professional journalist…Because I’ve always been reacting to what’s happening literally that week, it always kept me kind of reacting in terms of the immediate. That you could say was superficial, but I’ve tried to react to it in an un-superficial way’

• ‘I still believe that if we’re doing anything….it’s to change the world in some way and create something better.

Michael Heseltine on Peter Hall

‘Peter has made an immense contribution to academic thinking about places but critically has continued to write for audiences outside universities. ‘His regular columns display a sharp mind, engaging regularly on topical issues. If only more academics were prepared to engage with people at the coalface!’

Peter Hall as an agent of change• ‘I would say it’s possibly something wrong with the academy.

I’m using it in the general sense… a certain withdrawal, a kind of critical carping. I see this a lot in the literature… I can’t take this endless, smart, removed approach….. Well I suppose it’s a legitimate activity and not entirely perverse or self-destructive. But it doesn’t get us anywhere’.

• ‘I grew up in a world where you really did have to care about places and regional geography and that stuck with me. I did believe in understanding places and I defend that passionately. It’s the only way to go and that’s one of the great contributions of geography to planning.’

Lessons for regional science from Peter Hall: 1

• Although he may be described as an urban polymath, Peter Hall nevertheless has three main core disciplines: geography, history and planning. This contrasts with most of today’s regional science which tends to have economics, geography and (planning) as its core disciplines. Ought we to be concerned about this?

• Regional science ought to be an inter-disciplinary activity but often isn’t: Hall consistently maintains an inter-disciplinary approach. Our conferences and journals conspire against this.

• The time dimension in regional science: Peter Hall stresses the importance of understanding the past and thinking systematically about the future. Both tend to be ignored by regional scientists.

Lessons for regional science from Peter Hall: 2

• Peter Hall’s brand of regional science begins with thought and analysis, but then leads on to action. How many of us have the confidence and courage to say what should be done? Aren’t many of us guilty of abstract theorising for its own sake?

• Good journalism is a perfectly respectable activity for a regional scientist. In many ways, it was one of the secrets of Peter Hall’s success.

• Maintaining a portfolio of external, public service activity which makes us think about current issues and their solution ought to be part of most regional scientist’s work programme.

• Caring about a city (or a region) is important and will drive efforts to guide that city’s future development.

Which definition best describes Peter Hall’s regional science?

• The current definition:Studies focusing on the region, including the utilization of tools, methods and theoretical frameworks, specifically designed for regional analysis as well as concepts, procedures and analytical techniques of the various social and other sciences.

• Isard’s 1975 textbook:Regional science is the analytical study of the development over time of meaningful spaces, such as , for example, urban areas, regions, districts, river basins and sub-continental masses.Regional science is a synthesis of the art of planning and management with the science of spatial systems.Something else?

Peter Hall’s final book: a fine example of what he did best.