Anatomy of Good Planning: How Structured Decision Support Provides a More Human-Centered Planning Framework Using Your Head, Heart, and Gut

Problem, research strategy, and findings We have developed and articulate here a human-centered planning framework that adapts structured decision support to integrate cognitive analysis (head), emotional intelligence (heart), and intuitive judgment (gut). By systematizing these three dimensions, the framework draws on insights from decision science, behavioral psychology, and neuroscience to critically advance planning theory beyond rational choice, responding to established critiques in deliberative democracy, collaborative rationality, and feminist and postcolonial critiques of rationality. Through illustrative case studies—including an Indigenous climate adaptation initiative with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community—and additional examples from water resource and transportation planning, this approach demonstrates practical integration of analytical rigor, culturally grounded values, and tacit knowledge.Takeaway for practice We provide methods and examples to equip planners with head–heart–gut decision-making approaches that are rigorous, inclusive, and value informed, and that remain responsive to the complexities, diverse priorities, and uncertainties shaping today’s planning environment.