Confucian Planning or Planning Confusion?

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between culture, planning, and urban form m the context of Confucian Asia. Three distinct paths of influence are explored. First, urban form is itself an important expression or manifestation of culture. Second, culture has an indirect influence on urban form through its direct influence on the practice of planning. Third, urban form in turn influences culture by shaping, literally and figuratively, the context in which that culture is sustained. From this perspective, urban form provides valuable clues to what is being said at the level of culture. Planners do not act in a vacuum, but are part and parcel of the cultural environment in which they operate. These ideas are explored in the context of planning in East Asia, with special emphasis on the influences of Confucian culture. Our analysis calls into question the appropriateness of Western planning methods in a Confucian urban context.