The Value of Constructivist Grounded Theory for Built Environment Researchers

Grounded theory is a rigorous methodology that supports the study of complex urban phenomena. This article provides an overview of a constructivist approach to grounded theory and its associated research methods and argues for its wider adoption in urban research. This article asserts that grounded theory is a tool that can provide researchers across the built environment research fields a way in which to develop theory that is inductively based. The methodological considerations that underpin a constructivist approach to grounded theory are explained. Two examples of the application of constructivist grounded theory are presented to illustrate the broad-ranging applicability of this methodology in urban research.