This article consists of two parts. The first part suggests a typology for urban design theories in order
to provide a new way of understanding the nature and function of the, seemingly opposing, debates existing in
the field. This typology is based on distinguishing between subjects, object and knowledge of urban design. In the
second part, the typology is applied to the shared body of knowledge. In order to do so, this article attempts to
give an overview of the current shared body of knowledge in the field of urban design. The reading lists of urban
design theory courses, drawn from different universities in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, are
analysed to identify common texts. These texts are then considered to be one reading of what constitutes the
shared body of knowledge. A comparison is made between this list of titles and those texts offered in various
urban design readers to provide a better overall picture of the shared body of knowledge. Finally, a chronological
analysis is made to illustrate the development of the three types of urban design theory.

• A typology of Urban Design theories and its application to the shared body of knowledge