Luhmann emphasizes the need for planning to shift from a past-oriented to a future-oriented perspective, focusing on the reduction of structural openness and the selection of possible futures.
A future-oriented approach to planning, grounded in system theory and modeling, can better address the complexity and variability of modern societal systems by problematizing and structuring their inherent openness.
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LUHMANN, Niklas, 1994. Politische Planung: Aufsätze zur Soziologie von Politik und Verwaltung. 4. Aufl. Opladen: Westdt. Verl. ISBN 978-3-531-11073-8. p. 5–6.