Real-world Decision-Theoretic Planning (DTP) is a very challenging research field. A common approach is to model such problems as Markov Decision Problems (MDP) and use dynamic programming techniques. Yet, two major difficulties arise: 1dynamic programming does not scale with the number of tasks, and 2the probabilistic model may be uncertain, leading to the choice of unsafe policies. We build h...

The word ‘planning’ is often used to denote the technical elaboration of the means needed for the implementation of a policy which is considered as already given. This use of the word, however, obscures an important element in the concept of planning: far from being given a priori, an economic policy needs itself to be planned or, shall we say, designed. Some of the principal problems connected...

The planning bureaus are knowledge institutes that provide the Dutch government with knowledge about the present and future state of the country and how it is affected by the government’s policies. The name is somewhat misleading, as planning may invoke associations with the faltering centralisation policies of the darker days in really existing socialism. These institutes are not involved in p...

Weaving together the disciplines of planning and policy change with the emerging research of active living, this article explores the competing interests and underlying political forces behind the design and passage of Wisconsin's Comprehensive Planning Law of 1999. While Wisconsin's law remains a work in progress, it illustrates the contemporary policy battles over land use and smart growth an...

The article by Potts et al, “The Pill is Mightier than the Sword,” points out that family planning has an important role to play in building peace by increasing women’s empowerment and their agency, ultimately helping peacebuilding efforts. Evidence has demonstrated that family planning programs are cost effective, produce quick results, help women and couples meet their desired fertility level...