Letter to the Editor—Collective Planning, The French Experience

Dr. Branch in [Branch, Melville D., “Delusions and Diffusions of City Planning in the United States,” Management Science, Vol. 16, No. 12 (August 1970).] provided a relatively comprehensive review of city planning in the U.S. Another type of planning not mentioned by Dr. Branch is the “Indicative Planning” which was developed in France. Indicative Planning as a noncoercive but effective approach to national economic planning generated considerable interest. It was thought to provide an answer to the general issue of “Collective Planning” of which city planning and national economic planning are specific examples.