The concept of complexity is not trivial, although it can be concealed, as is the case with the object "city", under a deceptive simplicity. Implicitly or explicitly, the method of thinking that scientists have been referring to for centuries is to consider that we know an object, regardless of its nature, when we can both identify its elements and describe the essential characteristics of each of these elements. This is the so‐called analytical or Cartesian method. Another way to assess the complexity of a system is to use the concept of variety, which was introduced by W.R. Ashby from the bases of information theories. Boulding's typology allows the introduction of another important concept: the concept of function. A simple illustration of this concept of structure in the field of territorial system engineering is in the analysis of networks that constitute infrastructures at different territorial scales.


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    Title :

    City and Complexity: How to Untangle the Skein?


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2019-02-28


    Size :

    27 pages




    Type of media :

    Article/Chapter (Book)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




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