Conceptual Framework of Adaptive Social Planning for Sustainable Urban Transformation

Abstract

The notion of social planning has a long history as a method used by social planners to tackle societal problems. Programmes and policies implemented during this act of providing social amenities, developing policies and programmes, and other developmental activities are frequently rendered obsolete with time. Because social requirements and community elements are always changing, thereby creating the need for continual, collaborative, and inclusive efforts to deliver or adapt social development activities to meet people’s current needs. This chapter seeks to develop an adaptive social planning framework that will provide a guideline for the adaptation of social needs and ensure the continuous integration of social dynamism into urban transformation. The non-adaptability of social planning and the lack of integrative social planning were extracted from the literature, which forms the basis for the development of the conceptual framework. Findings revealed the social transformation needed to achieve sustainable urban development, which were integrated to establish a holistic view of social needs. With this, a direct connection between the adaptation of social planning activities and sustainable urban transformation was established. This study provides a guideline for social planners and policy-makers to continuously monitor and evaluate the credibility and impact of any program/policy through empirical findings.