ABSTRACT
In order to complement the concepts introduced in Chapters 1 and 2 , Chapter 3 aims to provide an extended review of the theoretical perspectives on and the conceptual foundations of the 21st century’s new urban planning and development model-that is, KBUD. The chapter, fi rst, discusses the changes and challenges that our cities and societies encounter in the era of knowledge economy and the shortcomings of normative urban planning and development. Then, it defi nes and elaborates what the concept of KBUD is and means for cities. Afterward, it puts forward and discusses the relevant theoretical perspectives that form the conceptual foundation of the KBUD phenomenon, and introduces the principal domains of KBUD with a particular emphasis on their balanced and sustainable developmentthat is, economy, society, environment and governance. The chapter, then, presents the contextual dimensions of each of these development domains to reveal the strong linkages among planning, development and the role of knowledge and, hence, to establish successful conceptualization of the KBUD framework. Following this, it elaborates the emerging approaches for the operationalization of KBUD-that is, strategic asset-based planning, performance-based planning and regulations. Last, this chapter advocates the strong likelihood of KBUD to become a new paradigm for the planning and development-that is, inorganic, designed, engineered and orchestrated-of knowledge cities. It should be noted that our KBUD view does not deny the existence of the organically developed knowledge cities-that is, developed with little to no government and planning intervention. On the contrary, KBUD paradigm aims to generate similar conditions in other urban locations through strategic planning and design that those organically formed knowledge cities already have.
