Postcolonial urbanism across disciplinary boundaries: modes of (dis)engagement between urban theory and professional practice

Abstract

This paper critically examines the epistemological status of urban professional practice, i.e. architecture and urban design practice, in the theoretical debates on postcolonial urbanism. Despite joint interests in topics such as subalternity, informality, and learning, we can identify various gaps between urban theory and professional practice which contribute to the ‘alienation’ apparent in the interactions between these two disciplinary fields. The paper discusses three aspects which are hampering a more systematic reflection of the theory–practice nexus in the context of postcolonial urbanism: first, the dominance of the figure of the ‘global architect’; second, the lack of a truly inter- and trans-disciplinary perspective within the popularised debate on urban issues; and third, the insistence on epistemological difference out of tactical concerns. In contrast, the recent shifts in the intellectual foundations and teaching approaches in architecture and urban design are not yet sufficiently acknowledged within urban scholarship. It is shown how these fresh approaches advance a rethinking of the concepts of agency and authorship and expand the tools and modes of acting in urban contexts. I suggest that these recent shifts within architecture and urban design can be particularly rewarding for urban scholars to take into account in their search for new ways and tools to address real-life problems, confront inequalities and include marginalised knowledges.