Journal article
The information architecture of cities
Journal of Information Science, Vol.30(2), pp.107-118
2004
Abstract
Cities can be viewed as information architecture systems. Here, 'architecture' is used in the sense of computer architecture - it refers not to the design of buildings, but to how the components of a complex system interact. Information exchange includes the movement of people and goods, personal contact and interactions, telecommunications, as well as visual input from the environment. Information networks provide a basis for understanding living cities and for diagnosing urban problems. This paper argues that a city works less like an electronic computer, and more like the human brain. As a functionally complex system, it heuristically defines its own functionality by changing connections so as to optimize how components interact. An effective city will be one with a system architecture that can respond to changing conditions. This analysis shifts the focus of understanding cities from their physical structure to the flow of information.
Details
- Title
- The information architecture of cities
- Authors/Creators
- L.A. Coward (Author/Creator)N.A. Salingaros (Author/Creator)
- Publication Details
- Journal of Information Science, Vol.30(2), pp.107-118
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Identifiers
- 991005542122007891
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Information Technology
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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InCites Highlights
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Citation topics
- 4 Electrical Engineering, Electronics & Computer Science
- 4.47 Software Engineering
- 4.47.410 Software Engineering
- Web Of Science research areas
- Computer Science, Information Systems
- Information Science & Library Science
- ESI research areas
- Social Sciences, general