This article discusses three aspects in relation to Complexity Theory. First, from an understanding of time and space specificities in the rise of theories, it discusses the wider socio-political reasons that may account for the rise of complexity theory and its interest for planners today. The rise of the third sector in governance, the decentralisation of the nation state, the rise of informality, the exponential rise of information and knowledge in every sphere of human and non-human activity and the rise of new normative ideologies are argued to provide the social context for interest in complexity theory. Second, this article positions complexity theory within general social science theories and argues that complexity theory best suits the second-order realm of social science theorisation. Third, this article positions complexity theory within planning theory and suggests that complexity theorists within planning might engage with the theory in three ways. These are by suggesting new ways of ordering of society and space by configuring or re-configuring planning systems in the first order, unravelling new opportunities for actors to work in society and space with largely self-organised entities and finally by searching for and discovering new dynamics for systems in the first order in society and space.

中文翻译：

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应对复杂的世界：空间规划探索

本文讨论了与复杂性理论有关的三个方面。首先，从对理论兴起的时间和空间特殊性的理解出发，讨论了可能解释复杂性理论兴起及其当今计划者兴趣的更广泛的社会政治原因。有人认为，治理的第三部门的兴起，民族国家的权力下放，非正规性的兴起，人类和非人类活动的每个领域中信息和知识的指数级增长以及新的规范意识形态的兴起都为对复杂性理论感兴趣的社会环境。其次，本文将复杂性理论置于一般的社会科学理论之内，并指出复杂性理论最适合社会科学理论化的二阶领域。第三，本文将复杂性理论置于计划理论之内，并建议计划内的复杂性理论家可能会以三种方式参与该理论。这些是通过以下方式提出新的社会和空间秩序的方法：首先配置或重新配置计划系统；为参与者提供与主要是自组织的实体一起在社会和空间工作的新机会；最后是通过寻找和发现新的机会在社会和空间中处于第一位的系统动力学。