Wicked problems

Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning introduced the world to the notion of Wicked Problems.

Wicked problems aren’t ‘solved’ - you institute strategies that cope with facets of them, and you should be prepared to do this forever, and with a sense of urgency.

It is the intersection of pluralism, and the objectively inequitable irreducibility of public goods that provide the minimal set of conditions for the emergence of ‘wickedness’. As such, it is difficult to imagine that these conditions are not met with alarming frequency.

Given all of this, it’s hard not to believe that Wicked Problems are an important thing that people should be aware of, and are thinking about.