Cities, towns, and metropolises, like a river, have defining features that are unique to the whole of the body yet non-homogeneous within. Despite feelings of material permanence, the city is fundamentally a construct of human creation and is therefore a biological phenomenon.
Like a coral reef on the shores of Oahu that alters the flow and distribution of the waves nearby, skyscrapers and tall buildings alter the flow of the wind currents within and around the city.
Like the American River receiving many waters from its watershed, a city receives resources from its own ‘input-shed’ and directs an output of resources.
When a fire burns in a forest, wildfires and brush come to fill in the gap. When cities are struck by a natural disaster, an invisible timer begins until the site of destruction will bloom again.
When a bird chooses a nest, the conditions must be correct to accomplish building a nest with the correct form while optimizing survival. This is much like the permitting process for buildings and construction activities in a jurisdiction.
When Francis Kere discussed preservation practices in Africa, he said, “African compounds are made to grow when there is necessity and shrink when there is necessity.” Though this refers to a living compound, this wisdom is highly applicable to the lifecycle of cities.
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