Cities

the visible expression of co-evolving complexity

Peter M. Allen

pp. 67-89

in: Juval Portugali, Han Meyer, Egbert Stolk, Ekim Tan (eds), Complexity theories of cities have come of age, Berlin, Springer, 2012

Abstract

This paper elaborates the view that cities as complex systems are typified by co-evolutionary behaviour and organization. As a consequence, cities change, adapt and maintain rich, diverse and varied strategies, sub-optimal behaviours, imperfect information, mistaken inferences and creativity. These aspects of cities are exemplified by reference to a set of simulation models developed by Allen and co-workers since the 1970s in a variety of domains (land-use and transportation), scales (a single city's dynamics and regional urban dynamics) and locations (Europe, the US, West Bengal and Nepal).