SPATIAL UMRAN THEORY: TOWARD A THEORY OF UMRANIC EQUILIBRIUM FOR SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT AND REGIONAL PLANNING

Contemporary spatial development theories have significantly advanced understanding of regional growth, sustainability, spatial justice, and territorial competitiveness. However, these approaches often address economic, social, environmental, and institutional dimensions as partially independent domains, resulting in fragmented interpretations of long-term spatial development processes.Despite increasing recognition of integrated development paradigms, a comprehensive theoretical framework capable of explaining the dynamic balance among these dimensions remains limited.This paper addresses this gap by developing Spatial Umran Theory (SUT), a new theoretical framework derived from the Islamic concept of Umran and informed by contemporary spatial development scholarship. Using a theory-building approach, the study synthesizes insights from Islamic intellectual traditions, particularly the concept of Umran articulated by Ibn Khaldun, alongside modern theories of regional development, spatial justice, sustainability, social cohesion, and governance. The paper introduces the concept of Umranic Equilibrium, defined as a dynamic and adaptive state of balance among economic efficiency, spatial justice, environmental stewardship, social cohesion, and ethical governance within a spatial system. The theory argues that durable spatial development emerges not through the maximization of any single dimension, but through maintaining equilibrium among these interdependent components.