UC Santa Barbara

Sociology has brought forth two antithetical models of the city: the concentric "Chicago" model and the polycentric "Los Angeles" model. In this presentation I revisit these models through the lens of linear and nonlinear mathematical modeling. I show that the concentric model can be described with linear mathematics while the polycentric model requires nonlinearity. My presentation also traces the distinction between linear and nonlinear modeling across a broad array of sciences and summarizes what type of observations can be described with linear and nonlinear modeling respectively. Linear models are best at describing predictable change, evolution, and progress. Nonlinear models are required when it comes to interplay between multiple diverse parties and chaotic behavior that is hard to predict. For architects, these insights may be particularly intuitive to understand. A straight line looks straightforward, while curves are more frequently associated with playfulness. The presentation will fit the present conference topic, as it is a discussion about urban models and about order and linearity versus disorder, playfulness, and nonlinearity.

Sociology has brought forth two antithetical models of the city: the concentric "Chicago" model and the polycentric "Los Angeles" model. In this presentation I revisit these models through the lens of linear and nonlinear mathematical modeling. I show that the concentric model can be described with linear mathematics while the polycentric model requires nonlinearity. My presentation also traces the distinction between linear and nonlinear modeling across a broad array of sciences and summarizes what type of observations can be described with linear and nonlinear modeling respectively. Linear models are best at describing predictable change, evolution, and progress. Nonlinear models are required when it comes to interplay between multiple diverse parties and chaotic behavior that is hard to predict. For architects, these insights may be particularly intuitive to understand. A straight line looks straightforward, while curves are more frequently associated with playfulness. The presentation will fit the present conference topic, as it is a discussion about urban models and about order and linearity versus disorder, playfulness, and nonlinearity.