Rationalisation of Investment Decisions in the Sustainable Management of Urban Development – is a New Paradigm Needed?

The management of dynamic and complex urban systems can no longer be driven by the sustainability aim alone and the concept of New Public Management is not more sufficient in conditions of financial constraints, growing needs, growing social awareness and expectations relating participation, citizenship, and public accountability. The general aim of the paper is to bring different concepts together to propose a new approach to investment decision making in urban development in order to support cities on both strategic and operational level. The rationalisation of investment decisions in the management of urban development requires acceptance of a new paradigm combining ideas of sustainable development and smart city, triad of creativity – circularisation – synergy, stakeholder theory, and social responsibility. The rationalisation requires also application of multi-criteria analysis which takes into account cross nature of investment in urban development. The proposed approach may be a theoretical reference for the subsequent methodological research and also managerial applications relating urban development projects. It can be then useful for public managers and provide support for decision making. The innovative approach of the research is not based on inventing new ideas from the scratch. It concerns application of already known concepts and theories which are necessary to create a new paradigm consistent with the known facts. The research is based on a critical literature review.