IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envirb/v47y2020i2p268-286.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Biotic analogies for self-organising cities

Author

Listed:
  • Claire L Narraway

    (University College London, UK)

  • Oliver SP Davis

    (University of Bristol, UK)

  • Sally Lowell

    (University of Edinburgh, UK)

  • Katrina A Lythgoe

    (University of Oxford, UK)

  • J Scott Turner

    (SUNY ESF, USA)

  • Stephen Marshall

Abstract

Nature has inspired generations of urban designers and planners in pursuit of harmonious and functional built environments. Research regarding self-organisation has encouraged urbanists to consider the role of bottom-up approaches in generating urban order. However, the extent to which self-organisation-inspired approaches draw directly from nature is not always clear. Here, we examined the biological basis of urban research, focusing on self-organisation. We conducted a systematic literature search of self-organisation in urban design and biology, mapped the relationship between key biological terms across the two fields and assessed the quality and validity of biological comparisons in the urban design literature. Finding deep inconsistencies in the mapping of central terms between the two fields, a preponderance for cross-level analogies and comparisons that spanned molecules to ecosystems, we developed a biotic framework to visualise the analogical space and elucidate areas where new inspiration may be sought.

Suggested Citation

  • Claire L Narraway & Oliver SP Davis & Sally Lowell & Katrina A Lythgoe & J Scott Turner & Stephen Marshall, 2020. "Biotic analogies for self-organising cities," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 47(2), pages 268-286, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirb:v:47:y:2020:i:2:p:268-286
    DOI: 10.1177/2399808319882730
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2399808319882730
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/2399808319882730?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bernardo Alves Furtado & Dick Ettema & Ricardo Machado Ruiz & Jelle Hurkens & Hedwig van Delden, 2012. "A Cellular Automata Intraurban Model with Prices and Income-Dif Erentiated Actors," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 39(5), pages 897-924, October.
    2. Alados, C.L. & Aich, A. El & Komac, B. & Pueyo, Y. & García-Gonzalez, R., 2007. "Self-organized spatial patterns of vegetation in alpine grasslands," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 201(2), pages 233-242.
    3. Joanna Williams, 2019. "Circular Cities: Challenges to Implementing Looping Actions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-22, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alessandro Concari & Gerjo Kok & Pim Martens, 2020. "A Systematic Literature Review of Concepts and Factors Related to Pro-Environmental Consumer Behaviour in Relation to Waste Management Through an Interdisciplinary Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-50, May.
    2. Mudoh Mbah & Anna Franz, 2021. "Revitalization and Branding of Rural Communities in Cameroon Using a Circular Approach for Sustainable Development—A Proposal for the Batibo Municipality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-26, June.
    3. Pamučar, Dragan & Durán-Romero, Gemma & Yazdani, Morteza & López, Ana M., 2023. "A decision analysis model for smart mobility system development under circular economy approach," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    4. Konstantinos Mantalovas & Gaetano Di Mino, 2020. "Integrating Circularity in the Sustainability Assessment of Asphalt Mixtures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-17, January.
    5. Francesca Ciampa & Stefania De Medici & Serena Viola & Maria Rita Pinto, 2021. "Regeneration Criteria for Adaptive Reuse of the Waterfront Ecosystem: Learning from the US Case Study to Improve European Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-19, April.
    6. Anne-Claire Savy, 2019. "How transition towards circular economy is organising ? Experience of a collective of alternative organisations [Quel mode d'organisation pour la transition vers l'économie circulaire ? L'expérienc," Post-Print hal-02556201, HAL.
    7. Francesca Pirlone & Ilenia Spadaro & Cristiana Arzà & Giovanna Lonati & Piero Garibaldi, 2022. "Application Studies for the Implementation of the Sustainability Charter in the Metropolitan City of Genoa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-22, April.
    8. Konstantinos Mantalovas & Gaetano Di Mino, 2019. "The Sustainability of Reclaimed Asphalt as a Resource for Road Pavement Management through a Circular Economic Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-20, April.
    9. Tanya Tsui & David Peck & Bob Geldermans & Arjan van Timmeren, 2020. "The Role of Urban Manufacturing for a Circular Economy in Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-22, December.
    10. Elena Rangoni Gargano & Alessia Cornella & Pasqualina Sacco, 2023. "Governance Model for a Territory Circularity Index," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-15, February.
    11. D’Amico, Gaspare & Arbolino, Roberta & Shi, Lei & Yigitcanlar, Tan & Ioppolo, Giuseppe, 2022. "Digitalisation driven urban metabolism circularity: A review and analysis of circular city initiatives," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    12. António Cavaleiro de Ferreira & Francesco Fuso-Nerini, 2019. "A Framework for Implementing and Tracking Circular Economy in Cities: The Case of Porto," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-23, March.
    13. Mouissie, A. Maarten & Apol, M. Emile F. & Heil, Gerrit W. & van Diggelen, Rudy, 2008. "Creation and preservation of vegetation patterns by grazing," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 218(1), pages 60-72.
    14. Mark Anthony Camilleri, 2021. "Sustainable Production and Consumption of Food. Mise-en-Place Circular Economy Policies and Waste Management Practices in Tourism Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-13, September.
    15. Luigi Fusco Girard & Francesca Nocca, 2019. "Moving Towards the Circular Economy/City Model: Which Tools for Operationalizing This Model?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-48, November.
    16. Seppelt, Ralf & Müller, Felix & Schröder, Boris & Volk, Martin, 2009. "Challenges of simulating complex environmental systems at the landscape scale: A controversial dialogue between two cups of espresso," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 220(24), pages 3481-3489.
    17. Federica Paoli & Francesca Pirlone & Ilenia Spadaro, 2022. "Indicators for the Circular City: A Review and a Proposal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-28, September.
    18. Fortino Acosta, 2022. "Linking Nevada to Doughnut Economics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-18, November.
    19. Gaspare D’Amico & Roberta Arbolino & Lei Shi & Tan Yigitcanlar & Giuseppe Ioppolo, 2021. "Digital Technologies for Urban Metabolism Efficiency: Lessons from Urban Agenda Partnership on Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-23, May.
    20. Elena Simina Lakatos & Geng Yong & Andrea Szilagyi & Dan Sorin Clinci & Lucian Georgescu & Catalina Iticescu & Lucian-Ionel Cioca, 2021. "Conceptualizing Core Aspects on Circular Economy in Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-21, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envirb:v:47:y:2020:i:2:p:268-286. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.