spatial action research approach: inter-scalar equilibrium of power, knowledge and decision making in spatial strategic planning

In recent years، strategic planning has been developed in line with participatory democracy and communicative rationality approaches. These approaches have been criticized for their failure to provide a practical application in reality. Some scholars such as Gaventa & Cornwall and Ataov argue we should conceptualize action research as a methodological solution if we want to implement Communicative rationality، concentrating on mutual learning and involving interactions between multitudes of actors. Although it is clear that because of mutual relations and interdependency of scales and essentially multi-scalar character of places، the successful implementation of participatory democracy in one scale depends on other ones. The analysis of their action research approach shows they have only focused on use of the approach in a single geographical scale and neglected plural dimension of it. Therefore، it is essential to develop a harmonic and continual view for strategic planning and action research approaches by considering inter-scalar interaction and plural dimension of scale. Then، this article through developing a plural approach to scale and proposing the concept of «planning with scales» provides more extensive prospects for strategic planning and action research approach and highlights spatial aspects of these approaches. Spatial action research approach helps to equalize the inter-scalar relation of power، knowledge and decision making process in strategic planning and to improve it democratically.