Table Of ContentHUMAN AND ENERGY FACTORS IN URBAN PLANNING:
A SYSTEMS APPROACH
NATO ADVANCED STUDY INSTITUTES SERIES
Proceedings of the Advanced Study Institute Programme, which aims at the dissemination
of advanced knowledge and the formation of contacts among scientists from different
countries.
The series is published by an international board of publishers in conjunction with NATO
Scientific Affairs Division
A Life Sciences Plenum Publishing Corporation
B Physics London and New York
C Mathematical and D. Reidel Publishing Company
Physical Sciences Dordrecht and Boston
D Behavioural and Martinus Nijhoff Publishers
Social Sciences The Hague, Boston and London
E Applied Sciences
Series D: Behavioural and Social Sciences - No. 12
HUMAN AND ENERGY
FACTORS IN URBAN
PLANNING:
A SYSTEMS APPROACH
Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on
"Factors Influencing Urban Design"
Louvain-Ia-Neuve, Belgium, July 2-13, 1979
edited by
P. Laconte
Director of the Expansion Department
University of Louvain, Belgium
J. Gibson
Commonwealth Professor and Dean
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
University of Virginia, U.S.A.
A. Rapoport
Professor of Architecture
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
U.S.A .
•1982
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Libran 01 ('ongre!t' eoltaluJ(lRg an f~ublil·illion Data
NATO Advanced Study Institute on "Factors Influencing
Urban Design" (1979 : Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)
Human and energy factors in l!rban planning.
(NATO advanced study institutes series.
Series D, Behavioural and social sciences ; no. 12)
1. City planning--Congresses. 2. System analysis--
Congresses. 3. Social systems--Congresses. 4. Energy
policy--Congresses. I. Laconte, Pierre. II. Gibson,
John E. III. Rapoport, Amos. IV. North Atlantic
Treaty Organization. V. NATO Advanced Study Institute.
VI. Title. VII. Series.
HT166.N39 1979 307'.12 82-14232
ISBN-I3: 978-94-009-7653-5 e-ISBN-I3: 978-94-009-7651-1
DOl: 10.1007/978-94-009-7651-1
Copyright © 1982 by Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, The Hague.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1982
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
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Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, P. O. Box 566, 25(H CN The Hague, The Netherlands.
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
2.0. PART 1 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS
2.1. SYSTEMS: Introduction 5
2.2. Gibson & Binkley: Systems and Models in Urban
Design - A Tutorial Overview 7
2.3. H. Rittel: Systems Analysis of 'The First and
Second Generations' 35
2.4. H. Rittel: Structure and Usefulness of Planning
Information Systems 53
2.5. H. Couclelis: Planning and the Systems Approach -
Exploding some Myths, Creating a Reality 65
2.6. METHODS: Introduction 79
2.7. P.M. Allen: Human Settlements as Self-Organizing
Open Systems 81
2.8. A. Jones: Multi-Criteria Analysis and Fuzzy Set
Theory Applications to Urban Design 121
2.9. o. Ayodeji: The Systems Approach in Physical
Planning - An Illustrated Consideration of its
Possibilities and Limitations 151
3.0. PART 2 - SUBSYSTEMS
3.1. HUMAN SUBSYSTEMS: Introduction 159
3.2. A. Rapoport: Urban Design and Human Systems - On
Ways of Relating Buildings to Urban Fabric 161
3.3. R.D. Lambert: Urban Design - Some Relevant Social
Forces in Developing Societies 185
3.4. G.K. Kanhere: Urban Design and the Role of
Traditional urban Systems 195
VI
3.5. ENERGY SUBSYSTEMS: Introduction 205
3.6. W. Sassin: Urbanization and the Global Energy
Problem 207
3.7. L.M. Bolle: Assessment of the Energy Consumption
of Urban Forms 235
3.8. G. Epstein: Well-Being in Cities - The Low-Energy
City 265
3.9. H.J. Bryce: The Energy Crisis and Urban Form -
A Comment 281
3.10. P. Laconte: Physical Layout and Energy Consump-
tion - The Case of Louvain-Ia-Neuve, Belgium 287
3.11. A. Metcalf: The "Misperception" of Car Running
Costs and its Impact on the Demand for Energy
in the Transport Sector 297
3.12. D. O'Sullivan: Examining the Effectiveness of
a Car Running Cost Meter 319
3.13. M. Bottero: Energy and Territory - A Proposal
for Research in an Area of Calabria 325
4.0. GENERAL CONCLUSION 337
5.0. ABOUT THE AUTHORS 339
1
1.0. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
This book constitutes an edited resume of the NATO Advanced
Study Institute held in the Belgian new town of Louvain-la-Neuve
in July, 1979. The Institute members, all specialists in the
growing number of disciplines directly and indirectly related to
urban design, assembled to discuss and instruct each other on the
"factors influencing urban planning and design". The dominant
theme during the Institute's proceedings was the relationship
between urban planning and systems. This theme has, therefore,
been adopted as the central idea in this reader.
The present papers are divided into two parts: Part 1 deals
with the systems and methods, while Part 2 concerns itself with
subsystems (human and energy). There is an introduction to each
section which summarizes its contents. It is hoped that these
summaries will allow the reader to "dip into" the book when
necessary.
The editors' adoption of the systems approach as the book's
theme has, unfortunately, necessitated the inevitable exclusion
of some valuable papers (especially with regard to public parti-
cipation and planning).* It is the editors' wish that this
reader will provide an instructive tool for both students and
specialists working in the many disciplines allied to urban
planning. Several systems techniques and methodologies are
explained, concrete examples described and, most importantly,
different points of view are proposed for personal reflection
and future discussion.
The editors acknowledge, with many thanks, the work of
Mrs. Amory, who carried out the preliminary editing, and Kevin
Whalley of the architectural practice De Smet & Whalley, s.p.r.l.,
Belgium, who edited the final documents. Last, but not least, our
thanks to Dr. Mario di Lullo of NATO's Scientific Affairs Division
for his continued help in all matters related to the organization
of this Advanced Study Institute, and to Dr. Tilo Kester of the
Publication Coordination Office for his expertise and assistance
which we so gratefully experienced during the entire process of
editing this work.
These papers are listed at the end of "About the Authors"
Part I
SYSTEMS AND METHODS
5
2.1. SYSTEMS INTRODUCTION
In this first section of the reader, a general overview of
systems is provided. Three very different approaches are
presented. The first is a formal presentation by GIBSON and
BINKLEY of the steps to be followed in a systems analysis,
followed by a few simple examples of certain systems techniques.
On the other hand, the two papers by RITTEL, whilst logically
describing how systems analysis of the first and second generation
can aid planners, introduce a growing doubt as to whether a
systems approach is really the way planners should solve their
problems. Finally, the myth-exploding paper by COUCLELIS is
contri ved to make the reader reflect on the entire edifice and
utility of systems, as she writes" in short, the systems approach
is a fancy name for what we have always been doing in planning".
7
2.2. "SYSTEMS AND MODELS IN URBAN DESIGN - A TUTORIAL OVERVIEW"
J. E. Gibson
J. R. Binkley
School of Engineering and Applied Science,
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia,
USA
ABSTRACT. A framework for large-scale system analysis is
presented. Within this framework various concepts of system
modeling are examined, and a philosophy of system analysis and
system modeling is discussed. Next, urban form is defined, and
the relationship between urban form and urban function is out-
lined. Several areas of urban modeling are reviewed. A possible
scheme for investigating the interaction of energy and urban form
1S developed. Finally, an example analysis of urban form is
conducted, and the effects of introducing energy conservation
into the analysis are analyzed. Institute participants are
invited to participate in the analysis.
1. SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND MODELING
Large-scale system analysis is a response to the complicated
set of interdependencies present in societal systems with tech-
nical, social, political, economic, and environmental components.
Large-scale system analysis is not a "super" discipline, which
relegates traditional disciplines to a secondary role, but rather
is an "inter" discipline, which coordinates the traditional
disciplines and which brings each into contact with a complex
problem at those points where it can best contribute. We believe
that large-scale system analysis can be fruitfully applied in
urban design and rehabilitation [1].
1 .. 1 A sys tems methodology
A system is an interconnection of elements so organized as
to aid in driving toward a defined goal. This definition focuses
