A proposition towards a General Theory of Urban Management

Abstract

The objective of this research is, using a transdisciplinary approach to Human Science which deals with the socio-spatial and territorial phenomena called Choranomy, to better understand the genesis and development of urbanised territory and to be able to compare its universal identity. In order to achieve this : i) We will take the three basic elements (operandum) of any dynamic system : objects, agents and relations among them. ii) We will concentrate on observing what technical means are used by agents (operators), which we identify here as public (governments) and private (corporations and landowners), to select, build and use public space for public purposes. iii) We will establish the theoretical, historical and technical ground to find clusters of variables (taken from Choranomy) which form a common urban model accross space and time (their primary or deep structure). iv) We will attempt to analyse the technical, cultural and political levels in which these clusters of variables operate (operations in their historical context), hoping to understand how these variables generate diverse models (from families of surface structures up to every individual model). And, v) We will finally compare those models which are generated by the operation of these variables.