Complexity and the inherent limits of explanation and prediction: Urban codes for self-organising cities

Moroni, Stefano

doi:10.1177/1473095214521104

Cited by 124 publications

(114 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…To avoid misunderstandings, it must be stressed that beside from granting a framework of relational rules, the nomocratic approach contemplate also the provision of public spaces and infrastructures on public lands via a form of circumscribed planning (Moroni 2012(Moroni , 2015. This kind of planning is necessarily based on the ascertainment of specific circumstances; it directly regards the actions of the public sector and the land owned by the public sector, not the actions of private parties on private land.…”

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confidence: 99%

Urban density after Jane Jacobs: the crucial role of diversity and emergence

Moroni

2016

City Territ Archit

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Background: In the early part of the twentieth century, planning theory and practice always voiced strong opposition to density. The error of this insistence was persuasively argued by Jane Jacobs in the 1960s. Subsequently, planning theory and practice came to recognise the importance of density, but this return to favour requires remaining constantly alert to the possible dangers and pitfalls. Methods:Critically considering the traditional and contemporary urban planning literature and the empirical evidence in the recent economic and geographical research, this article investigates the whys and wherefores of density in urban planning. It addresses two main questions: Is urban density really desirable (and why)? Is it effectively manageable (and how)?Results: Density per se is meaningless unless it is a tool or condition for achieving something further. And even if the instrumental function of density were to be acknowledged, it is crucial to take into account that density is not solely (or merely) a tool which-in certain conditions-can be useful in reducing commute times and minimising the encroachment on undeveloped land. Its primary advantage concerns favouring the concentrated diverse admix of human preferences, tastes, abilities, know-how, uses, activities, and so forth. Conclusions:After having expressly laboured to avoid it for so long, the aim is not to create density directly, but to open the door and allow density to happen in our cities, thanks to more abstract and general planning rules.

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Urban density after Jane Jacobs: the crucial role of diversity and emergence

Moroni

2016

City Territ Archit

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“…As defined in the introduction, a social activity is considered market-driven when the actions of numerous decentralized agents are coordinated by the price mechanism; alternatively, the centralized organization of a social activity requires planning to be employed. Indeed, social activities require a special type of planning that is relevant to complex systems, termed nomocratic planning (Moroni, 2010(Moroni, , 2015. Many researchers regard this kind of planning as decentralized -or bottom-up (Portugali, 2008;Moroni, 2010;Holcombe, 2013).…”

Section: Methodological Notesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The changing roles of planning and the market in the processes of urban growth in Belgrade and Sofia

Kovachev

Slaev

Zeković

et al. 2017

Spatium

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This paper studies the changing roles of planning and the market in the context of urban growth and suburbanization in the capitals of Serbia and Bulgaria, specifically with regard to the socio-economic changes experienced in Southeast Europe over the past decades. With a focus on the post-socialist period, the work also examines specific features of the socialist period, so as to make important distinctions between the two. The research question in this paper is: Is planning or the market responsible for the form of growth that has occurred in Sofia and Belgrade? One methodological problem for the study is that in reality, most urban processes are to a degree both market driven and centrally planned. Thus, it can be difficult to distinguish between the distinct roles and outcomes of planning and the market. To solve this problem, the paper analyzes situations in which either planning or the market is dominant, so as to be able to clearly determine the impact of each mechanism on the resultant development. The paper concludes that urban growth and suburbanization are generally engendered by market forces, whereas the role of planning is to improve and refine the action of the market. When planning ignores the market, it results in failed or inefficient urban forms. However when planning is absent, urban development fails to meet reasonable standards.

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“…Still, we can draw some general conclusions when we regard nomocratic rules as "framework instruments" (Moroni, 2014a). By establishing rules, central planning creates a framework or an area of options; thus it nomocratically (i.e., democratically) steers the development of a system.…”

Section: Methods Of Nomocratic Planningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Property rights and methods of nomocratic planning

Slaev

2015

Planning Theory

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This paper examines the methods of planning of complex systems. More precisely, it applies property rights analysis to the methodology of nomocracy, a leading branch of the theory of complexity in planning. To study the methodology of planning, the paper focuses on its objectives and methods, as well as the characteristics of nomocratic rules. It briefly examines the literature on the methods of planning of complex systems, the methods of the nomocratic approach, and the methods of regulation theory. It then develops a theoretical structure of the methodology of nomocratic planning by employing property rights analysis and finds that the purpose of nomocracy is the allocation of entitlements. Finally, to emphasise the importance of property rights, it discusses some specific findings of Holcombe's work "Planning and the Invisible Hand". Holcombe's work is a well-developed study of the relevance of the nomocratic approach to market functions; planning practices, such as zoning; and topical issues of contemporary urban development, such as sprawl and related new urbanism/smart growth principles. This paper focuses on Holcombe's particularly critical view of the latter. However, while the application of property rights analysis fully supports Holcombe's understanding of the positive connection between nomocratic planning and the market, it also leads to a more favourable view of zoning and new urbanist principles. The paper concludes that the main objective and defining characteristic of nomocratic rules is that they serve to allocate property rights over commonly owned resources.Keywords methodology of planning, nomocracy, planning and regulation, planning of complex systems, property rights Literature on the methodology of planning of complex systemsThis section examines the literature on the methodology of planning complex systems, particularly the nomocratic approach. This review reveals that the theory of nomocracy has not yet clearly identified the characteristic features, objectives and methods of nomocratic rules that distinguish them from other rules governing human activities. Methods of planning relevant to the management of complex systemsDefining complex systems is not easy, and even the best definitions may allow for different interpretations and require clarification.

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Complexity and the inherent limits of explanation and prediction: Urban codes for self-organising cities

Cited by 124 publications

References 46 publications

Urban density after Jane Jacobs: the crucial role of diversity and emergence

Urban density after Jane Jacobs: the crucial role of diversity and emergence

The changing roles of planning and the market in the processes of urban growth in Belgrade and Sofia

Property rights and methods of nomocratic planning

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