A Dooyeweerdian approach to time in sustainable development

Iuliis, MD

Abstract

Time is at the core of Sustainable planning. How to involve time in the planning processes is a
crucial question for which very few exhaustive answers have been provided. This research attempts
to provide a definition of the important role played by time in sustainable development and the way
in which it can be incorporated in planning decisions. This thesis is aimed at building a strategic
framework, which can assist decision makers and be applied in the planning process of urban
development to improve the approach to sustainable planning.
The proposed framework will be grounded in the Philosophy of the cosmos developed by the Dutch
philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd at the beginning of the twentieth century. Philosophical
Dooyeweerdian concepts such as modality, analogical relations, subjective experience, law, entity,
temporal coherence, cosmic time, subject object relation, sphere sovereignty, Archimedean point, Ithou
relation, soul body at structure are analysed at a theoretical level to provide a theoretical basis
for the practical application. This philosophical approach provides a grounding through
Dooyeweerds aspects and meanings creating the structure upon which the framework is built. The
study defines the temporal issues and temporal dimensions, which could make the philosophical
approach a practical tool for implementing the philosophical concepts allowing them to assume a
more concrete character. The proposed temporal analysis of urban systems is developed into a
framework which has three main phases. The first phase is the historical temporal analysis, the
second phase is the subjective analysis and the third addresses the planning phase. These three
interrelated phases of analysis define a framework which is then tested through a practical case
study in Santo Stefano al Mare in Italy engaging four different public areas with different
characteristics. Each area is analyzed by the application of the temporal table, which is a framework
structured on the fifteen Dooyeweerdian modalities. The temporal table helps in locating the garden
in front of the primary school, the garden in Marco Polo road, the play garden next to the parish
church, and Baden Powell square within the formative urban evolution of Santo Stefano al Mare.
The application of the temporal table - backward and forward directions to the green areas
provides the definition both of their spatiotemporal identity and of their response to future change.
Conclusions are drawn as to the applicability of the Dooyeweerdian approach to the subject and the
future research needed to make it a robust tool is suggested. The framework has the potential to be
applied across the whole spectrum of sustainable development and address an aspect of evaluation
which has been underplayed for many years.

Citation

Iuliis, M. A Dooyeweerdian approach to time in sustainable development. (Thesis). Salford : University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 3, 2012
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2010