Urban sustainability science as a new paradigm for planning

Abstract

Planning problems have been described as inherently wicked, that are difficult to define, unpredictable, and defying standard principles of science and rational decision making. Sustainability science is a new area of science that focuses specifically on understanding the dynamic interactions of social-ecological systems, of which the city is a particularly significant example. Building on the literature of planning and sustainability science, this paper presents an argument in favour of sustainability science as a theoretical basis for a planning paradigm that can effectively engage with the wicked problems presented by cities and their sustainability. The paper acknowledges that this argument is in the early stages of development and presents it as a stimulus for broader discussion and further development by a larger community.