System-Theoretical Urban Development (PDF)

In their book, the authors introduce the topic of urban development from a system - theoretical perspective and provide explanatory approaches, tips and methodological instructions for dealing with urban complexity. Knowing full well that this sometimes amounts to squaring the circle, the authors draw on applied systemic approaches and systematically couple these with epistemological trends that are influenced by Luhmann's systems theory. The insight of this theory of social systems represents an ideal starting point for understanding urban development and urban complexity. From this perspective, urban development can be seen as a process in which organizations and individuals are involved with their own expectations and perspectives, where contradictions and conflicts seem inevitable and where the future cannot be clearly predicted. Decisions in cities and municipalities are therefore always associated with risks, irritations and unexpected consequences. With the Potsdam lodestar approach, Rolfes and Wilhelm present a multidimensional approach to managing urban development processes. The approach distinguishes five process dimensions, which are presented chapter by chapter, and linked with recommendations. The individual chapters are structured with guiding questions and feature appealing graphic illustrations and richly diverse bonus content.

The authors

Dr. Manfred Rolfes is Professor of Applied Human Geography and Regional Science at the University of Potsdam.

Dr. Jan Lorenz Wilhelm is a systemic coach and systemic consultant and works as a research assistant at the Institute for Environmental Sciences and Geography at the University of Potsdam.

This book is a translation of an original German edition. The translation was completed with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent revision by a (human) editor primarily reviewed the content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation.