Urban Knowledge and Urban Policy

As we have seen in contemporary societies, particularly in relation to the ‘knowledge-based society and economy’, the role and position of knowledge has acquired increasingly strong and positive connotations; this is an indication that reflection and careful preparation is important before action takes place (although one might argue that this has always been the case). When knowledge is deployed in relation to specific subjects or objects of action, it is assumed that this will lead to improved outcomes compared to other forms of action that do not explicitly seek to integrate the relevant knowledge that is available. Yet despite this recognition of the importance of knowledge what counts as knowledge is often not considered, its substance is rarely carefully examined. Given this it worth bearing in mind that while knowledge is a generic concept used in everyday interactions and contexts it appears in many shapes and guises ranging from scientific and codified forms of knowledge to everyday forms; what the chapters in this book, and the wider literature show is that there is a wide range of knowledge forms that are often summarised as ‘common sense’, a kind of reasoning based on experience or ‘learning by doing’ (what might be termed practical knowledge or ‘know how’). As a result a good deal of knowledge is never expressed directly; experience tells the individual how to handle various situations. This is related to what is called tacit knowledge, which generally is the most common mode in which knowledge appears in many areas of life, including the sciences. On the other hand, formulated (or codified) knowledge is what we can discuss and exchange views about; to organise this debate some basic rules have developed over time.