Aparicio, ÁngelArias, Félix2023-06-202023-06-202019978-88-99243-93-7https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14235/315Abundant culture have been accumulated in the historical evolution of rural settlements in This paper takes as a case study Madrid Nuevo Norte (MNN), a redevelopment scheme launched in 1993 by the national railways in association with a private developer, and that remained inactive for many years, until an agreement with the local government was publicly disclosed in 2017. The agreement got wide political support from most of the city councillors, but faced sharp criticism from residents and some influential local planners. These planners pointed out that the agreement would do little to address the residents’ concerns about the massive construction of office space and its associated risks for gentrification and displacement, and would further accelerate the spatial and social segregation between the north and the south of the city. They called for strengthening the much weakened legal planning framework in Madrid, and for making better use of technical expertise in the decision-making process. The approach of these planners is to empower the public to participate at the public debate through the provision of factual evidence and legal advice. These planners do not seek centrality or hegemony in public deliberation. In this sense, they would exemplify a particular neopragmatic turn in planning.enPlanning ethicsplanning theorycomplexityantagonismArticle1537-1547