Extending ekistic theory and practice for the 21st century

Abstract

The PhD research titled Extending Ekistic Theory and Practice for the 21st Century is on the methodology of Ekistics and its relationships with other relevant fields that parallel Ekistics as 'The Science of Human Settlements'. Ekistics is an important development in trans-disciplinary thinking about human habitat and sustainable cities. This research has resulted from enquiries by the World Society for Ekistics (WSE) about the continuing value and function of the original models developed through the work of C.A. Doxiadis, and adopted through ekistics theory and practice. A foundation of the enquiry by WSE has been a proposal by Professor Amos Rapoport (University of Wisconsin). The Ekistics Research Unit in the Department of Planning at the University of Auckland was invited to host this research. The research starts with the models that form the frameworks for Ekistics, and the way they have been applied by C.A. Doxiadis in his research and planning practice (as Doxiadis Associates International Ltd, Greece, and his Graduate School, The Athens Centre of Ekistics). There are the three main objectives underlying the research: (1) Identifying the antecedents to ekistic thinking and their transformation by Doxiadis; (2) Subsequent transformation of Ekistics in response to developments in the recent academic disciplines since the death of Doxiadis in 1975 (3) Providing recommendations to the WSE for its consideration of ways to modify the grids and the models to relate to the need of the 21st Century. The thesis has identified examples of antecedents to ekistic thinking, considering Patrick Geddes, CIAM (Le Corbusier), and Team 10 while Richard Buckminster Fuller is included as a contemporary of C. A. Doxiadis. Three examples of recent publications from academic disciplines relevant to Ekistics have been considered as case studies to illustrate how Ekistics can be extended and modified. These disciplines are Environment Behavior Studies (EBS), community sociology, and philosophy (phenomenology). The case studies provide core ideas, which are used to demonstrate how ekistic theory and practice can continue into the 21st century, and the dialogue which could support this future.