Global and local (GLO-CAL) visions of human habitation for 2100 and their defining cultural paradigms

There is a gap between contemporary urban planning theory and practice. Not only does this schism exist within the urban planning and design field, but also in regard to the social purpose and cultural meaning of the city. This problem persists in an era of increasing global urbanisation where, for the first time in human history, the majority of people will live in cities. The purpose of this research is to recover the key urban question from the milieu of urban literature and discourse, namely, what is the purpose of the city and its cultural meaning in the 21st century? New solutions require new thinking. To answer the above question the current research methodology formulates a futures-orientated, holistic teleology for the city. This teleology integrates multiple levels of reality to bridge the schism between revolutionary urban theory and practice. Consequently, both contemporary urban theory and practice of creating better city futures is examined, challenged, and re-formulated to provide greater clarity of purpose and social action when resolving current and emerging urban challenges. The research combines empirical, interpretative, critical and anticipatory action learning methods and integrates frameworks from three disciplines: (1) City Theory and Urban Planning and Design; (2) Models of Cultural Change including macrohistory; and (3) the field of Futures Studies. This process seeks to reframe the siloed intra-disciplinary urban discourses into an integrated, trans-disciplinary urban model with holistic meta-criteria for city development. In Chapter One, the inquiry begins with mapping the urban problem and its challenges using a futures studies method – the futures triangle of dialectic forces. The application of this method allows mapping of the forces affecting urban futures as drivers of change, resistors to change, and images that attract change. This futures-orientated dialectic establishes the context for the subsequent investigations.Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of the Sunshine Coast, 2006