About The Course

In 1973, Rittel and Webber wrote a seminal paper with the enigmatic title, “Dilemmas in a general theory of planning.” In this article—which has now been cited almost 23,000 times—they introduced the concept of “wicked problems,” in which there is no definitive formulation of the problem or solution. Because these problems are characterized by complexity, uncertainty, and divergence of human values and viewpoints, they are prone to becoming mired in controversy and failures of governance. Unfortunately, many of our most pressing global social and environmental issues today—ranging from climate change and biodiversity loss to food insecurity and environmental injustice—fall into this category. To understand the nature of these problems, we must understand the systems from which they arise and their dynamics. This course introduces some of the foundational literatures on wicked problems, systems thinking, and collective governance.