As a radical optimist called to consider the purpose and value of the city, I have usually found the whole approach to sustainable development somewhat limiting (see previous article). The assumption which most inspires me about the city is one I learned from James Lovelock, author of the Gaia hypothesis. Despite all the shortcomings [...]
Perhaps the Earth Can Teach Us? "KEEPING QUIET" BY PABLO NERUDA Now we will count to twelve and we will all keep still. For once on the face of the earth, let's not speak in any language; let's stop for one second, and not move our arms so much. It would be an [...]
Regenerativity in the Human Hive is a quality shared by everyone - not just a special "Creative Class". The first day of Spring (in the northern hemisphere) or Fall (in the southern hemisphere) can especially remind us of how the power of creativity is regenerative for all the roles in the human hive. It is [...]
The Key to decoding the Integral City Maps is the Master Code: Take Care of Yourself Take Care of Each Other Take Care of this Place Take Care of this Planet This Key is symbolized with the Integral City Compass which decodes the 12 Intelligences we need to explore Integral City Maps with ever-increasing circles [...]
Integral City how do we map the rhythms and dynamics of your life? In the last five posts we have explored the five Maps of Integral City. Each reveals new territory. I have described the merits of Maps 1,2,3 and 4 (borrowing from the organizational icons in the book Spiral Dynamics) in the audio (and printed) book, Integral City: [...]
Integral City how do we honor the many systems, structures and infrastructures that have emerged to shape you ? Map 4 offers us a cartography of organizational forms so we can appreciate how many functions serve the complexity of city life. Integral City Map 4: The Complex Adaptive Structures of Change The built structures [...]
Integral City how do we relate to your constant changes and exchanges? Map 3 reveals the cycles that flow through and around your prolific eco-system. Integral City Map 3: The Scalar Fractal Relationship of Micro, Meso and Macro Human Systems In the city, as individuals we grow our capacities. When life conditions trigger [...]
Integral City how do I create thee? Perhaps Map 2 can reveal how ... There are points of time, of distant memory, when the soul unites within the pattern of the universe. That union brings forth the understanding of life's harmony. So it should be within the [city] garden … Author Unknown [...]
Integral City how do I map thee? Let me count the ways ... starting with Map 1. Map 1: 4 quadrant 8 level map of the city When I started to explore the Integral framework for cities I was influenced both by the work of Ken Wilber and Don Beck's Spiral Dynamics model. [...]
The patterns embedded in human systems have evolved for hundreds of thousands of years. Indeed, as living systems, the patterns have emerged from the 4 billion years that Life has vibrated on the dance floor of the Planet, as single cell microbes to multi-organ persons. These patterns emerge from expressing the simple rules [...]