Simplifying Complexity Understanding Cities - Part 1
Sep 16, 2024
Michael Batty, a renowned urban planner and Professor at University College London, shares his insights into the evolution of city planning. He discusses how perceptions of cities have shifted from static visual entities to complex systems shaped by historical events. The conversation delves into negative feedback mechanisms that stabilize urban environments, the role of fractals in understanding natural structures, and mathematical models that illustrate urban networks. Batty's expertise sheds light on the dynamic nature of contemporary urban development.
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Cities as Mechanical Systems
- Early city planning treated cities as mechanical systems, like machines governed by push and pull forces.
- This approach framed cities as top-down organized systems subject to correction via negative feedback.
Traffic Control as Negative Feedback
- Traffic management exemplifies negative feedback in city planning through mechanisms like traffic lights and control centers.
- Sensors and human responses correct congestion to maintain traffic equilibrium.
Shift to Complexity and Positive Feedback
- Traditional top-down negative feedback models failed as cities are never in equilibrium and evolve bottom-up.
- Positive feedback drives these unanticipated changes, marking a paradigm shift to complexity theory.