Climax City: Masterplanning and the Complexity of Urban Growth

Climax City untangles the complexity of urban growth and masterplanning and embraces the chaos of the city

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 01 June 2019
Publisher: RIBA Publishing

Human settlements are the product of a complex interplay between self-organization and planning. Planners often find themselves struggling to impose order on chaotic systems, realizing that their efforts may be futile in the face of the unpredictable nature of urban growth.

However, there is a growing recognition among planners and urbanists of the importance of understanding the connections between the process of urban growth and the fields of complexity theory. The idea that cities are emergent structures created not by design but from the interplay of relatively simple rules and forces over time is gaining traction.

This perspective challenges the traditional notion of masterplanning, which often seeks to impose a rigid blueprint on cities. Instead, it emphasizes the need to work with the natural processes of urban growth rather than against them.

The struggle between the planned and the unplanned is a universal one, regardless of whether we are discussing small Tuscan hill towns or megacities in Asia. The question is, can we rediscover the art of city planning that works with, rather than against, the natural process of urban growth?

Climax City, a groundbreaking work of international research, provides a critical exploration of the growth of cities and masterplanning. This book challenges the notion that the city can be entirely planned on paper and implores planners to embrace chaos when designing cities. Beautifully illustrated with striking hand-drawn plans of global cities, Climax City is a vital and accessible contribution to urban theory and planning.

Whether you are a practitioner or an academic in the fields of planning and urban design, this book offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics of urban growth. It provides a framework for understanding how cities can evolve and adapt over time, and how planners can work with rather than against the natural forces that shape them.

In conclusion, human settlements are the result of a complex interplay between self-organization and planning. While planners may struggle to impose order on chaotic systems, there is a growing recognition of the importance of working with the natural processes of urban growth. By embracing complexity theory and working with the forces that shape cities, we can create more sustainable, resilient, and livable urban environments.

Weight: 1332g
Dimension: 251 x 221 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781859467633