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This book examines the evolving intersection of urban development, ecological theology, and technological transformation across diverse spiritual traditions, including Hindu, Sikh, Islamic, Catholic, and Buddhist perspectives. In an age defined by digital urbanism, artificial intelligence, and environmental crisis, this volume explores how sacred values and ecological ethics are being reinterpreted within rapidly changing urban environments. It critically engages with the tensions between technological solutionism and ecological wisdom, questioning how urban technologies shape spiritual relationships and theological understandings of creation and stewardship. Through conceptual frameworks such as the SIMRAN Framework, Nature-Maker Approach, and emerging ideas like smart theology and nAIcolonialism, the book advances a transdisciplinary dialogue between faith, sustainability, and innovation. It will appeal to scholars and practitioners in theology, sustainable architecture, urban planning, and environmental humanities.
List of contents
Part I: Religious Traditions and Urban Ecological Frameworks.- Chapter 1. Hindu Spatial Concepts for Reconciling Technology and Ecology in Contemporary Urban Design.- Chapter 2. Sikh Ecotheological Approach to Technological Integration for Urban Sustainability.- Chapter 3. The Islamic Approach in Human-Environment Relationship and its Role in the Responsible Use of Technological Advancement in Urban Development.- Chapter 4. Intergenerational Justice in the Transition to the Fifth Industrial Revolution: A Reading from Catholic Theology.- Chapter 5. Reimagining Sacred Spaces: Ecotheology s Role in Sustainable Urban Futures Rajeev Semwal, Nandita Tripathi, Pankaj Kumar Tyagi and Vipin Nadda.- Part II: Sacred Landscapes and Spatial Practices.- Chapter 6. Urban Planning Regulations
About the author
Vikas Chand Sharma, an Associate Professor at Chandigarh University and a researcher at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, brings 13 years of experience in architectural design, urban planning, and research. He specializes in sustainable urban design strategies for historic cities, combining phenomenological approaches with digital mapping. His foundational research on religious spatial patterns and new urbanism was published in 2016. He serves on the Scientific Committee for Contesti. Città, Territori, Progetti and is a member of the Editorial Board for several international journals. His work appears in the International Journal of Construction Education and Research, Journal of Architecture & Urbanism, and Landscape Research.
Krzysztof Nawratek is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Humanities and Architecture at the University of Sheffield. With a background in architecture, urban design, and urban planning, his interdisciplinary research sits at the intersection of urbanism and religious studies, exploring how non-Western worldviews and belief systems shape space. His work develops radical inclusivity and radical contextualisation to decolonise Western urban discourse. Dr. Nawratek has authored or co-authored seven books, including Epistemic Ambivalence (2023). He is a Fellow of the HEA and has led several funded international projects, including Future Faith (Sir Halley Stewart Trust) and Worldviews, Water and Urban Practices (UKRI). He also brings over a decade of professional experience in architectural and urban planning practices across Poland, Latvia, and Ireland.
Sandeep Dua is a Professor in the Department of Architecture at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. He holds a PG Diploma in Urban Design from CEPT University, Ahmedabad, and a PhD in Architecture from IIT Roorkee. His research interests encompass mathematics in architecture and urban form, history and theory of architecture and urban design. With a 30-year experience, Dr. Dua has published extensively on topics such as medieval domestic architecture, colonial and post-colonial architectural styles, and urban form and architecture. He has also undertaken research project funded by AICTE, New Delhi.
Alessio Russo, an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), is a recognized expert in urban ecosystem services and green infrastructure. His research, informed by professional and academic experience across the UK, Italy, UAE, and Russia, focuses on the critical intersection of these areas with human health and climate change. He emphasizes using nature-based solutions (renaturing, regreening) to regenerate cities, contributing specifically to SDG 11. Dr. Russo's recent projects, funded by UKRI and UCL, explore urban rewilding and climate-resilient design. He serves on the editorial boards of journals including Urban Planning and is an Associate Editor of Urban Agriculture and Regional Food Systems.
Summary
This book examines the evolving intersection of urban development, ecological theology, and technological transformation across diverse spiritual traditions, including Hindu, Sikh, Islamic, Catholic, and Buddhist perspectives. In an age defined by digital urbanism, artificial intelligence, and environmental crisis, this volume explores how sacred values and ecological ethics are being reinterpreted within rapidly changing urban environments. It critically engages with the tensions between technological solutionism and ecological wisdom, questioning how urban technologies shape spiritual relationships and theological understandings of creation and stewardship. Through conceptual frameworks such as the SIMRAN Framework, Nature-Maker Approach, and emerging ideas like smart theology and nAIcolonialism, the book advances a transdisciplinary dialogue between faith, sustainability, and innovation. It will appeal to scholars and practitioners in theology, sustainable architecture, urban planning, and environmental humanities.
