Research Digest
THEME OF THE FORTNIGHT
URBAN PLANNING
REPORTS
Changing Paradigms of Urbanisation: India and Beyond
Authors: Om Prakash Mathur
Publication Details: Academic Foundation, 2024
This collection brings together 20 essays spanning 1981–2023, exploring global and Indian urbanisation patterns. It opens by forecasting India’s shift from a lower-middle to upper-middle urban economy (2022–2047) and examines required policy adaptations. The essays analyse core themes such as city-size distributions in semi-open economies, globalisation’s impact on urban policy, foreign direct investment, and the sustainability of megacities. Further sections cover regional planning in Asia, local governance and municipal finance (including decentralisation and property tax reform), rural–urban balance, the role of small cities, informality and urban poverty, and the 74th Constitutional Amendment’s effectiveness. The book combines historical, empirical, and policy-driven perspectives drawn from rigorous research and the author’s extensive expertise, offering valuable insights for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers on managing India’s unprecedented urban transformation.
Culture Urban Future
Authors: UNESCO
Publication Details: UNESCO, 2016
The report emphasises culture and creativity as powerful drivers of sustainable urban development. It argues that cultural heritage—both tangible and intangible—alongside creative industries, can stimulate economic growth, foster social inclusion, and enhance urban spaces. Cities that integrate culture into policy frameworks can boost tourism, create jobs, and strengthen local identity. Creative clusters and community arts initiatives, particularly in underserved neighbourhoods, help promote social cohesion and civic engagement. The publication also outlines policy strategies such as dedicated cultural strategies, investment in cultural infrastructure, and cross-sector partnerships. It presents case studies from diverse cities worldwide. Key recommendations include embedding culture within urban planning, supporting grassroots creative initiatives, and developing skills through education and training. The report concludes that culture should not be sidelined—as a “luxury add-on”—but recognised as central to urban policy. It calls for all levels of government to collaborate with cultural stakeholders to reap the full developmental benefits of culture and creativity.
Read More: https://isocarp.org/unesco-global-report-culture-sustainable-urban-development/
Urban Planning for City Leaders
Authors: Pablo Vaggione et al
Publication Details: UN-Habitat, 2014
This guide is designed to help mayors and local leaders better understand and communicate with planning professionals. It stresses urban planning as a critical tool for turning long-term city visions into reality—especially in fast-growing cities—by aligning space, finance, legislation, and management. The guide underscores the importance of public participation, collaboration with the private sector and communities, and continuity across political terms. Through ten key “how-to” topics, it offers practical advice on integrating planning with infrastructure investment, service delivery, economic development, and environmental resilience. Case studies—including Medellín—demonstrate how sustained, inclusive planning can transform informal and marginalised areas by improving mobility, public services, and state presence. Overall, the guide encourages city leaders to embrace planning as an inclusive, political, and spatial framework for sustainable urban development.
Read More: https://www.local2030.org/library/67/Urban-Planning-for-City-Leaders.pdf
RESEARCH PAPERS
The Last Utopia: The 15-Minute City
Authors: Alain Bertaud
Publication Details: Urban Reform Institute, 2022
The article critiques the concept of the “15-minute city,” which suggests that residents should be able to access all essential services—such as work, schools, shops, and leisure—within a 15-minute walk or cycle from their homes. While this model may suit dense urban areas like central Paris, it proves less practical in broader city contexts. Daily needs like food and primary education are often already close by, due to market dynamics and urban density rather than deliberate planning. However, the model becomes unrealistic when applied to access to jobs and cultural facilities. Employment is spread across cities, and individuals make housing and job decisions based on multiple factors, including income, environment, and school quality. Enforcing such a model could lead to government overreach, limiting personal choice and reducing economic flexibility. The article argues that cities should instead focus on improving transport systems and public spaces, rather than imposing strict proximity-based planning.
Read More: https://alainbertaud.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/15mincity-bertaud-compressed.pdf
Evaluation in Urban Planning: Advances and Prospects
Authors: Vitor Oliveira and Paulo Pinho
Publication Details: Journal of Planning Literature, 2010
This article reviews the current debate on evaluation in urban planning. It begins with an overview of the evolution of evaluation theories and methods, followed by a discussion on contemporary planning perspectives and paradigms. It also examines how evaluation is currently practiced in the field. The second part highlights the increasing focus on urban form within different planning systems. Drawing from a broad literature review, the article proposes a set of general principles to guide the evaluation of urban plan implementation.
Read More: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0885412210364589
Urban planning: an ‘undisciplined’ discipline?
Authors: Daniel Pinson
Publication Details: Futures, 2004
This article explores the tension between multi-disciplinary and disciplinary identity in urban planning. While urban planning has always drawn on multiple fields—particularly social and engineering sciences—it risks weakening its foundation by borrowing knowledge without critical reflection. The article argues that for urban planning to contribute meaningfully in trans-disciplinary settings, it must first establish itself as a distinct discipline. This requires defining a core set of knowledge and skills, a formal training system, and a recognised professional structure. Currently, urban planners often overlook the need to build a shared theoretical and practical base. Without this, the field may become fragmented and overly reliant on other disciplines. The article concludes that the strength of urban planning lies not just in collaboration but in having a clear disciplinary identity. Only with this foundation can it effectively engage in transdisciplinary dialogue and contribute to solving complex urban challenges.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2003.10.008
The Ethical Concerns of Artificial Intelligence in Urban Planning
Authors: Thomas W. Sanchez, Marc Brenman and Xinyue Ye
Publication Details: Journal of the American Planning Association, 2024
The article reviews existing literature on the ethics of applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) in urban planning, focusing on key concerns around bias, transparency, accountability, and privacy. It identifies how algorithmic bias can reinforce social inequalities by reproducing historical data patterns. The lack of transparency in many AI systems makes it challenging for planners to understand, scrutinise, or contest automated decisions. Accountability is also problematic, as responsibility may be unclear when outcomes are driven by opaque AI algorithms rather than humans. Moreover, the massive collection and use of data in smart cities raises serious privacy issues, with potential for intrusive surveillance and misuse of personal information. To address these concerns, the article highlights the need for ethical frameworks that ensure inclusive design, clear documentation, public engagement, and robust regulation. It concludes that without careful ethical governance, AI’s potential benefits in urban planning—such as enhanced decision‑making and efficiency—could be outweighed by risks to equity, transparency, and citizens’ rights.
Read More: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01944363.2024.2355305#abstract
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