It may be fair to say that many of the problems people see with enterprise architecture come from the name that the profession has given itself. “Architecture” implies a responsibility for the overall structure of the organization, a role that involves controlling and approving any changes to how the parts are put together. By analogy, this places the enterprise architect in a role similar to that of a building architect, with an overall responsibility for the structure of the enterprise.
Many have felt that “urban planner” is a better metaphor, because the urban planner looks at how all the individual buildings fit together, considers how the structure and layout of a city affect the lives of its inhabitants, and helps to realize the overall vision of the city. I agree that this metaphor is better, and I think the evolution of urban planning provides some additional insights.
