The intrinsic logic of cities: towards a new theory on urbanism

Abstract

This article introduces the reader to the current debate in Germany on ‘the intrinsic logic of cities’ (Eigenlogik von Städten). Proceeding on the assumption that the city is a genuinely distinct form of sociation, an interdisciplinary group of researches has been investigating the possibilities for analysing cities as specific symbolic sub-worlds that provoke action in a typical manner through implicit meaning ascription. The theoretically grounded concept of intrinsic logic (Eigenlogik) allows collective and lasting action patterns to be examined, which – in keeping with cultural codes and meaning horizons – render social reproduction in cities comprehensible. Basic theoretical assumptions from the sociology of knowledge and culture are applied to urban studies. Empirical studies on the German cities of Darmstadt, Rostock, and Bremerhaven show how the multitude of urban practices can be reduced to basic common meaning relations.

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