ABSTRACT
This chapter argues with a general model of local knowledge and an urban example for the importance of an explicit methodological basis of the use of local knowledge in development. It focuses on an example of urban knowledge to discuss general theoretical, methodological and applied issues. The chapter utilizes an anthropological study of urban residential knowledge in the multiethnic provincial city of Makassar, South Sulawesi, to show the potentials and difficulties in empirical local knowledge research. It aims to provide approaches that try to use scientific knowledge, layman’s knowledge and contextualized local knowledge in combination. Local knowledge research in the realm of development is problem oriented, but even such research needs well-defined methodologies, which require a clear theoretical understanding of the phenomenon of local knowledge. If local knowledge research were less idealistic, hurried, more systematic, multi-focal and context-sensitive, this would make development and specifically urban planning more effective and participatory.
