Becoming a post-growth planner: inner obstacles to changing roles

This contribution uncovers connections between post-growth and planning by looking at those who plan: the planners. It puts forward the belief that change in planning needs a deeper understanding of the inner struggles that occur when post-growth ideas meet contemporary planning practice. With a perspective on German statutory planning at the urban and regional scales, it asks two major questions: first, what hinders planners from imagining planning beyond growth? Second, which inner struggles do planners face when aiming to change from growth-oriented roles and practices? A transformative confrontation, taking basic post-growth critique and questions to discussion events with established public administration planners and planning researchers, unfolds the variety of desires, emotions, values, and processes of sensemaking that are individually different but systematically enshrined. This knowledge helps to outline entry points for planning to change towards growth-independent roles and practices.