In the shadow of decisions: The multiple functions of study reports in the commercial delegation of expertise in urban policies

Studies are an unmissable part of urban policies. Local authorities commission companies, mostly private, to produce these studies that systematically lead to deliverables in the form of reports. While these reports are supposed to enlighten decision-makers in their choices for town planning, the actors involved in policy implementation nevertheless regularly criticize their uselessness, despite their large number. This article aims to understand decisions in urban policies based on the analysis of the drafting of these reports, by seeking to go beyond the simple observation of a legitimizing narrative. It is based on an ethnographic observation of the writers at work to study how they fight against this criticism of their uselessness and the desired effects of their writings. Faced with a restrictive commercial writing style, this observation shows the new role of these writers: they seek more to be consultants in charge of projects than neutral experts. Thus, they write reports, seen as tools, in various forms, aiming to give them different functions. This article identifies these functions and shows how these sociotechnical methods fit into the contemporary process of urban public action and contribute to transforming decisions into power.