Comments on: The patterns of place http://emergenturbanism.com/2010/02/15/the-patterns-of-place/ Rediscovering urban complexity Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:36:20 +0000 hourly 1 By: re:place Magazine http://emergenturbanism.com/2010/02/15/the-patterns-of-place/comment-page-1/#comment-280 re:place Magazine Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:27:30 +0000 http://emergenturbanism.com/?p=619#comment-280 [...] [The Seattle Times] Lethal T-Square: Architecture, Violence, Renewal [Places: Design Observer] The patterns of place [Emergent [...] [...] [The Seattle Times] Lethal T-Square: Architecture, Violence, Renewal [Places: Design Observer] The patterns of place [Emergent [...]

]]> By: Mathieu Helie http://emergenturbanism.com/2010/02/15/the-patterns-of-place/comment-page-1/#comment-279 Mathieu Helie Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:20:04 +0000 http://emergenturbanism.com/?p=619#comment-279 Rules are of course at the core of any system, but they come in different classes. We know that the organic morphology of Arabic cities, for example, comes from certain rules. What we must find out is why this set of rule turns out organic, and why another set just produces deadness. What form-based codes do is put descriptive limits on the final state of a building process. They have nothing to say about the process itself. What Wolfram shows is that simple rules acting on the context within a process create complexity in certain cases. He does not try to create rules describing final, complex patterns, in fact he shows that this is impossible for complex systems. The rules we adopt must be procedural and contextual for them to be complex, as only this way can the individual have the creative freedom to make adaptive changes to the environment. Descriptive rules, such as form-based codes, have already determined what is going to be built before anyone could know what is needed and in what shape this comes. I'll write more on this subject in an upcoming post. Rules are of course at the core of any system, but they come in different classes. We know that the organic morphology of Arabic cities, for example, comes from certain rules. What we must find out is why this set of rule turns out organic, and why another set just produces deadness.

What form-based codes do is put descriptive limits on the final state of a building process. They have nothing to say about the process itself. What Wolfram shows is that simple rules acting on the context within a process create complexity in certain cases. He does not try to create rules describing final, complex patterns, in fact he shows that this is impossible for complex systems.

The rules we adopt must be procedural and contextual for them to be complex, as only this way can the individual have the creative freedom to make adaptive changes to the environment. Descriptive rules, such as form-based codes, have already determined what is going to be built before anyone could know what is needed and in what shape this comes.

I’ll write more on this subject in an upcoming post.

]]> By: Patrick Carolan http://emergenturbanism.com/2010/02/15/the-patterns-of-place/comment-page-1/#comment-278 Patrick Carolan Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:52:26 +0000 http://emergenturbanism.com/?p=619#comment-278 Thanks for delineating between form based code and emergence. I had understood form-based codes to be a step in the right direction in that they could at least promote integrative neighborhood aesthetics however I see how they may instead be constricting and prevent imaginative expression. What advice would you have for a planning commission wishing to promote emergent urbanism in their community? Even Wolfram starts with rules. Thanks for delineating between form based code and emergence. I had understood form-based codes to be a step in the right direction in that they could at least promote integrative neighborhood aesthetics however I see how they may instead be constricting and prevent imaginative expression. What advice would you have for a planning commission wishing to promote emergent urbanism in their community? Even Wolfram starts with rules.

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