Cycle Study as the Basis of Adaptive Urbanism

Abstract

Our cities grow very fast and hence societies become increasingly arbitrary, interchangeble and contingent. The changes on even the cycles in our societies, e.g. economic, product and development cycles, etc. become quicker and shorter. It is getting more difficult to predict the trends and therefore to foresee our future. Planning our cities is about control—to frame our cities to some extent and direct the development directions or themes. However, perfect control has never been achieved in human history , and hence urban planning becomes a dilemma between the belief of stability and instability.