Comments on: Organization and intelligence http://emergenturbanism.com/2009/06/01/organization-and-intelligence/ Rediscovering urban complexity Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:35:57 +0000 hourly 1 By: anon http://emergenturbanism.com/2009/06/01/organization-and-intelligence/comment-page-1/#comment-209 anon Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:48:11 +0000 http://emergenturbanism.com/?p=406#comment-209 interesting reading. i'm no engineer/architect/urban planner, but it seems to me that because cities are made up by people, the urban planning can't really restrain the random/chaotic actions. on the other hand, it seems to me too that a city needs some level of planning, if not to help the efficiency of a city (e.g. in terms of movement, communication) also, nowadays urban planning seems to move a lot of money and interests around, deciding how much certain properties will be worth by basis of a construction of a hospital etc.. i don't really have a point here, just trying to figure things out :) interesting reading. i’m no engineer/architect/urban planner, but it seems to me that because cities are made up by people, the urban planning can’t really restrain the random/chaotic actions.

on the other hand, it seems to me too that a city needs some level of planning, if not to help the efficiency of a city (e.g. in terms of movement, communication)

also, nowadays urban planning seems to move a lot of money and interests around, deciding how much certain properties will be worth by basis of a construction of a hospital etc..

i don’t really have a point here, just trying to figure things out :)

]]> By: Jon Koller http://emergenturbanism.com/2009/06/01/organization-and-intelligence/comment-page-1/#comment-208 Jon Koller Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:08:23 +0000 http://emergenturbanism.com/?p=406#comment-208 A fascinating and appropriate analogy. The question now becomes: what constraints to provide to cities? I think that some modern planning is certainly necessary, the type espoused by Sitte: take care of the big details (where not to build, about how dense, and major transit infrastructure) then let the inhabitants figure out the rest. I think this is doable, but it would take two major innovations. First a total revamp of the legal code to greatly reduce the time it takes to resolve minor disputes and manipulate land deeds and second, removing the automobile as a major presence in urban areas. The constraints that engineers would seek to impose on the design to allow for the automobile would entirely remove any trace of control that locals would try to exert over their surroundings (I know, I'm a transportation engineer). A fascinating and appropriate analogy. The question now becomes: what constraints to provide to cities? I think that some modern planning is certainly necessary, the type espoused by Sitte: take care of the big details (where not to build, about how dense, and major transit infrastructure) then let the inhabitants figure out the rest.

I think this is doable, but it would take two major innovations. First a total revamp of the legal code to greatly reduce the time it takes to resolve minor disputes and manipulate land deeds and second, removing the automobile as a major presence in urban areas. The constraints that engineers would seek to impose on the design to allow for the automobile would entirely remove any trace of control that locals would try to exert over their surroundings (I know, I’m a transportation engineer).

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