2.7 Methodologies and Frameworks
Contextual Intelligence
A concept named in this platform’s structure and awaiting definition by the founder, with what the published texts say about contextual knowledge and decisions.
In this section2 · Methodologies and Frameworks
Concept and Scope
No published text of New Contextualism found by the editors uses the term Contextual Intelligence. This page is reserved for the founder’s definition of the concept, its scope and its relation to the approach. Until then, nothing here should be read as a definition.
The nearest published wording describes settlements ‘intelligently responsive to our specific ecological and social context’ (Reza 2025), and calls for ‘intelligently reinterpreting the past to inform new directions’ (Reza 2023c).
Contextual Knowledge and Decision-Making
The published texts say a good deal about how knowledge of context should inform decisions. The September 2025 essay starts from a diagnosis: ‘Too often, planners, urban designers, and even city authorities operate without clear guidance. Thus, briefs remain vague, decisions pile up incoherently, and when trade-offs become difficult, ethics are overlooked’ (Reza and Nitu 2025).
The founder’s 2023 essay describes the knowledge on which better decisions draw: ‘Designers can better comprehend potential future scenarios through data analytics, scenario planning and expert insights’ (Reza 2023c). Such knowledge depends on history. Predictive tools are only as accurate as ‘the depth of our understanding of historical precedents and current trends’ (Reza 2025).
Applications and Assessment
No applications or methods of assessment have yet been published under this name. Documented applications of the approach as a whole are listed under Projects.
Sources
New Contextualism
- Reza 2023cReza, Mohammad Habib. 2023c. “New contextualism: A path to a sustainable and equitable future.” The Business Standard, December 19, 2023. https://www.tbsnews.net/features/habitat/new-contextualism-path-sustainable-and-equitable-future-760366. Record
- Reza 2025Reza, Mohammad Habib. 2025. “New Contextualism: An architectural philosophy for deltaic Bangladesh.” The Daily Star, April 23, 2025. https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/focus/news/new-contextualism-architectural-philosophy-deltaic-bangladesh-3878456. Record
- Reza and Nitu 2025Reza, Mohammad Habib, and Upama Das Nitu. 2025. “New Contextualism: Architecture and Urbanism for People, Place, and Justice.” Context BD, September 16, 2025. https://contextbd.com/new-contextualism-architecture-and-urbanism-for-people-place-and-justice/. Record