The Position of Urban Sustainability in Knowledge-Based Urban Development

Purpose- Evidence of the importance of urban sustainability in the process of knowledge-based development of urban areas has been declared in recent studies. This article aims to understand the significance of the concept from the perspective of urban planning that has been looking for an integrated paradigm for planning urban areas since last decades of previous century. Although, it seems to be an interruption in the evolvement of urban planning theories due to the lack of a unified theoretical framework for knowledge based development, this paper also wants to shed light on the relation between the paradigm of sustainability and knowledge-based urban development (KBUD) in 21st century. Design/Methodology/Approach- This article refers to the existing leadership literature about the changing nature of urban planning in 21st century and draws upon research seeking a meaningful relationship between emergence of the concept of urban sustainability and the paradigm of knowledge based urban planning. In order to do so the notion of urban sustainability will be explored from the origin and will be traced to current urban planning literature. Following this trend, a comparative analysis will be performed between the main principals of sustainable development and KBUD in order to clarify their relationship. Originality/Value- The originality of this paper is to investigate the notion of sustainability as a foundation for the formation of a framework for knowledge-based development of cities, although this concept is mostly referred to as one of the most important pillars of knowledge-based urban development in recent literature. According to the results, the principles of KBUD are deeply rooted in sustainability and has evolved through the emergence of knowledge economy and knowledge era. Practical Implications- The outcomes of this research has great impacts on advancing the theoretical dimensions of KBUD, through opening a new horizon for urban planners. Broadening the theoretical aspects of the concept by filling the existing gap in the urban planning literature will inevitably provide urban planning practitioners with practical consequences.