Patch urbanism: Towards an integrated theoretical framework for examining spatial and temporal dynamics in the Asian rice belt

Abstract

Despite structuring most of the urban world today, the deep history and long-term relationship between agricultural and urban spaces has been overlooked and undervalued in the Urbanocene. This article introduces a novel theory and method we term ‘patch urbanism’ to explore long-term relationships between settlement form and productive agricultural landscapes. We highlight the significance of such relationships in structuring extended urban regions throughout South, Southeast and East Asia today. Specifically, we examine the concept of patch urbanism in the context of Southeast Asia’s desakota landscapes using the largest city of the preindustrial world, Angkor, as an in-depth case study. By mapping and critically analysing archaeological features that structure current landscapes through modes of path dependency, we challenge dominant urban theories and the presentist bias in much urban studies research by emphasising the enduring spatial patterns across diverse cultural contexts, contradicting the notion that such patchy landscapes are inherently unsustainable, transient or merely transitional phases towards more centralised urban forms. The concept of patch urbanism offers a valuable lens for analysing and promoting sustainable transitions in urban regions, particularly in the context of Southeast Asia. This perspective challenges dominant urban theories by emphasising the historical resilience and ecological potential of dispersed urban forms. By embracing blue, black and green infrastructures, decentralised realities and adaptive rather than idealised approaches, patch urbanism provides an alternative framework for shaping sustainable and resilient cities of the future.