Creative thinking in planning How do we climb outside the box?

Creative thinking is a powerful tool for helping planners deal positively with rapid change and complex problems. This paper reflects on several recent UK and European research projects and explains theories underpinning creative thinking, analyses why it is important for planners, and discusses the benefits of using 'creative problem solving' techniques in practice and education. Based on evaluations of applications to date, it examines ways in which creative thinking can be facilitated and applied in the future, in both practice and education.