A Pragmatist Philosophy of the City: Dewey, Mead and Contemporary best practices
Keywords:
Pragmatism. Participatory Democracy.Urban Planning. Sustainability. Best Practices.Abstract
This paper focuses on developing a framework for interweaving built architecture, environmental preservation, and a social architecture grounded in deep democratic engagement that can enhance a naturally and socially sustainable ideal city for the future. I will explore three main questions: What are the best practices in democratic citizen participation in cities worldwide, e.g., Porto Alegre and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina), London (U.K), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Berlin (Germany), Durban (South Africa), Nairobi (Kenya), and Sydney (Australia), especially focusing on interlinked issues of racial and income diversity, community empowerment, citizen education, and the common good? How is planning with nature related to planning for human welfare in ideal cities of the future? What are some solutions that have arisen within collaborative planning for land use, transportation, economic development, and social-natural sustainability? My analysis will highlight the contributions of classical and contemporary pragmatist thinkers to framing and answering these questions.References
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