Complexity as the telos of postmodern planning
Literary Luminary
Postmodern theory vs Complexity theory
“Its attraction begins with its basic principles, which are the antithesis of modernist values, such as order, efficiency, logic and predictability. Instead, complex adaptive systems have a dynamic of messy, unmediated evolution and control by dispersed bottom-up self-organisation Young (2008) argues that postmodern urban planning begins with an understanding and love of complexity, while Portugali (2011) claims that complexity theory has become in a couple of decades ‘an established interdisciplinary research domain engaging urban geographers, planners, urban designers, regional scientists, mathematicians, physicists and others”.
It interesting to see the dynamic between the two theories as one believes in control and order for life to continue smoothly and as predicted while the others believe in the freedom to let things take its course naturally planning wise as time goes on.
Sustainability
“Since the rise of sustainability as a major goal of urban planning over the last few decades, neo-traditional development in the form of urban villages, pedestrian pockets and transit-oriented developments have been widely championed and facilitated on environmental rather than social or aesthetic grounds, as sustainable forms able to reduce vehicle miles travelled and CO2 emissions. However, actual new urban or transit-oriented developments, despite their emulation of the form of the traditional civic and neighbourhood commons, have not always created functional complexity. Instead, they are often dominated by the same chain stores found anywhere in suburbia, and, while they may look like a traditional town centre, they are often funded, owned and managed along similar lines to shopping centres. In the late capitalist city, private corporations, backed and facilitated by local growth machines, have been responsible for the planning, development, and marketing of transit-oriented and new urban developments.”
This is interesting because it shows, the goals of obtaining a finished and flawless form and a marketable aesthetic means that while new urban developments have the requisite connection, mix, and intensity of uses required of complex adaptive systems, they often lack the equally vital diversity of ownership, adaptability, open evolving form and messy edge of chaos self-organization. Consequently, new urban villages and many transit-oriented developments (TOD) built, to date, are accused of having more in common with shopping centers or Disneyland than the evolved traditional towns they seek to emulate.
“Complexity theory represented a scientific methodology in support of what they had long inductively observed and previously articulated, cities were complex, multilayered, self-organised and not readily understood by way of reductive formulas. Lynch argued that the best way to understand the city was as an ecosystem constructed by the dispersed conscious thinking of autonomous inhabitants. Alexander, Alexander et al. , Hillier and Hanson, Lynch, Relph and Norberg-Schultz observed that cities were multilayered, evolving, learning and complex, with a dynamic drawn from vernacular pluralism and endogenous activity. This made them evolving, messy and unpredictable but vital and highly dynamic. In their analyses, they professed a clear link between the endogenous dynamic of the city, complexity and urban form.”
This is interesting because it shows how the methodology of the phrase “complexity theory” puzzled and got all these social scientists to provide their arguments and give all their reiterations to the phrase and gives or allows the readers to pose more questions and see more than one side to the philosophy of “complexity theory”.
References
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Summary
Complex City
The article explores the relationship between complexity theory and the analysis, planning of designing of cities, especially the suburban and neighborhood subsystems. They argue that even though complexity theory is an apposite goal for postmodern urban planning, it has been far less influential in their planning and designing. This has left the design and management of urban subsystem to the demands, choices of a huge corporation, a situation more likely to deliver more mechanical order than postmodern complexity. It is also the freedom to express your views and input your ideas to the table. As you share your ideas so that you feel that sense of having the power and control to voice one’s own opinion. Also, people, unique diversity plays an essential role and is vital in sustaining sustainability.
Connections
Market
An example in my own life would be the Red Deer market that happens every Saturday morning. The city came together to design an urban space that would only be used for this market which did not allow for chain stores to come in. The farmers market can be seen as a mean to sustain farming activity through their culture. It benefits for low-income consumers in the form of access to lower food prices. By doing so, they were able to allow for local artists to conserve the real culture of the neighbourhood.
Subtopic
Starbucks
A recent example of post modernization is the world’s largest Starbucks that was built in Chicago. This four-story building is replacing what was once a Crate and Barrel location along the ‘Magnificent Mile neighbourhood.’ The bright and open window building was built in 1990, selling home goods and furniture. Having this Starbucks replace Crate and Barrel represents post modernization. The structure of the building resembles a very postmodern look, and the technology used in this building is far beyond the modern era. The on-site roasting of its special coffee beans as well as being around the culture and tradition of downtown Chicago. Having this Starbucks open has demonstrated “theatrical experiential shrines to coffee passion”
Developing countries adapting to the complexity of urban systems
All around the world the growth of cities has been very disproportionate to urbanization. Urban transition is something that unfolds in all developing countries starting from all different patterns and outcomes that usually never follow the right process. Although most of our knowledge on developing countries is explained through our history we have dealt with several misunderstandings. Through these misconceptions the growth of cities focuses on outcomes which start from rural to urban migration, and disregard the growing urban natural population increase. This has caused urban growth to isolate urban studies which prevents real theorization. During the 20th century the growth and development of cities have made an impact to economic advancement. They have taken manpower from the outside and used it towards goods and services that help to modernize agriculture. Although today in developing countries the growth of cities has become unbalanced from economic development which leads to rural urban migration. This eventually leads to population growth and higher rates of birth.
Questions
With the advent of online retail, will postmodern planning also contribute to the deaths of shopping centers that will be converted into something entirely different?
- Yes, because individual stores will no longer be needed as it is the only restaurant seem to be surviving. And those restaurants typically follow postmodern building designs per their brand. So, these malls will either need to be demolished or converted into something different such as some converted to homeless shelters, zoos, etc.
Will postmodern planning bring in a phase of corporate dominated city planning?
- Yes, because if there is no solid theory of how to plan a city, then it's left up to whoever has the money to design the city themselves. And this typically involves businesses since many times they have the cash to build an expensive large building in urban areas.
- Yes, Postmodern planning might bring in a phase of corporate-dominated city planning because the corporate world bare purpose is to make money and more often than not, whatever that may be viewed as a potential asset building opportunity will be seized by those businesses.
How can we define Urban resilience considering the complexity of Urban Systems?
- Urbanism can be defined as any urban growth, it seems that it is impossible to be urban resilient. When in fact, urban resilience is against corporatism and population density.
- For instance, rural life would be an example of urban resilience because these type of people are intentionally not living next to others in a community, or as a place of businesses
- Urban resilience can be defined as the ability to prepare, respond and recover from significant hazardous threats to a community or a nation, various examples of this include the African American community throughout the whole history in the U.S.A (more specifically the riots of 1993), the French revolution, civil wars in developing countries trying to adapt the complexity of urban systems.
What is the difference in meaning of the terms 'planning', ‘policy’, and 'strategy' after reading the article?
A strategy is a special plan made to achieve a market position and to reach the organizational goals and objectives. It is what you are aiming for when you are aiming and planning. Planning is the actual work itself when designing a city. Policy refers to a set of rules made by the organization for rational decision making. Whereas planning is coming together collectively to share ideas for what to do to keep the corporation thriving. It is also what you will allow and not allow while designing a city. These three words are used in designing an urban system.
Vocabulary Enricher/Word Wizard
Postmodern Metropolis
It is the movement of the traditional hierarchy of the city where the city is settled from “logical, bound, mixed” to “fragmented, diffused, unbounded and stretched”. The postmodern metropolis is evidently diverse, self-organized, fluid, messy and evolving and eventually functions as a complex adaptive system. In the article, Los Angeles is referred to as a typical postmodern city due to its diversity, and vigorousness.
Complexity Theory
A study of analyzing and modeling complex systems about how order, structure, pattern can emerge. This theory does not provide simple answers, instead provides multiple probabilities to be inspected. It is represented in the article that cities were complex, multilayered, self-organized, and were evolving. Little changes frequently resulted in unpredicted results because of impossibility of making predictions. It demonstrates that non-equilibrium and non-linear dynamics are essential features of the natural system, and are the reasons for continuous change through disturbance and evolution.
Mechanistic system
A system that believes the complex system can be perceived by breaking down the problems or concerns into separate components in which the purpose is to improve the problem, not to end the problem. It is a system with several rules, linear relationships, and the hierarchy of authority. The term is utilized by the author to describe how it was believed that by this top-down system problems like chaos, inequity, irrationality could be resolved. This notion had an impact on enhancing the issues and was able to segregate and achieve perfection in rationality and efficiency.
Top-down System
Illustration
The illustrator designed is a space called Tree space, with a combination of both complex adaptive system and postmodern veneer. This space is well organized and outlined yet giving enough room for urban sprawl, like a tree, where its branches have the freedom to expand to any direction but always connected to the trunk. Each branch is outlined and organized as departments. The main idea is to create a space where multiple micro agents have an opportunity to start or expand their business, unlike shopping center where an only corporate developer has total control over the development. Creating complexity requires fine-grained subdivisions, Independent developers, multiple and diverse ownership, dispersed control, openness to the unexpected and novel and an enduring openness to incremental change and evolution without any notion of completion, as said in the article. Unfinished space gives opportunities to the new developers, ultimately providing space for urban sprawl and natural flow. The constant search for opportunities and synergies by multiple micro agents make the system as whole a highly efficient converter of inputs of energy and materials into mass, richness, and diversity. In nature and society, complex adaptive systems require three essential elements. First, they require a broad, diverse and eclectic mix of autonomous agents. Second, they require multiple and diverse ownership of premises and businesses, as only this can produce the dispersed decision making required for bottom-up self-organization, which is the defining dynamic of all complex adaptive systems.
Illustration from the article
The civic neighborhood commons confer greater benefits for communities they serve than the order of the shopping center.
Figure 1
· Shopping stores
· Complex adaptive system
· Bottom-up dynamism
· Vernacular pluralism
· Natural flow
Figure 2
· Shopping malls
· Automobile city and postwar urban sprawl
· Postmodern veneer
· Top-down modernist structure
· Commercial establishment
· Compression of time and space
