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Cities

the visible expression of co-evolving complexity

Peter M. Allen

pp. 67-89

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).

Publication details

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-24544-2_5

Full citation:

Allen, P. M. (2012)., Cities: the visible expression of co-evolving complexity, in J. Portugali, H. Meyer, E. Stolk & E. Tan (eds.), Complexity theories of cities have come of age, Dordrecht, Springer, pp. 67-89.

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