Lecture 1

Question 1

What’s the difference between facts and values?

Answer 1

• Facts: This is the world
• Values: what we think about this world

Question 2

Name the two rationales of planners in this stage.

Answer 2

Technical: fact based
Communicative: value based

Question 3

Due to Aristotles ‘Law of non contradiction’ a bottle = bottle and not something else. Classroom cannot be something else. Statements can be false if they contradict. In this course it is the opposite. Explain how.

Answer 3

Because if we have facts, they relate to values. Rationality without communication is not possible.

Question 4

What is and characterizes theory?

Answer 4

Models that give us an overview of things. It’s no issue if it’s right or wrong. They are meant to understand and give insight. An absolute truth is what we make of it. It’s basically an agreement.

Question 5

Natural and social sciences difference?

Answer 5

Physics works with hard elements. With social science it’s constructive approach. Intangible, context related. Very complex
* Various issues are going on
* Most of our issues are not under control. Open to autonomous change.

Question 6

What does planning come down to?

Answer 6

• Intervening. Change it in such a way that it’s to our liking. On behalf of society. Well being of society.
• Purposeful intervention

Question 7

What did Prof. de Roo say about uncertainty in the first lecture?

Answer 7

Uncertainty is fundamental. Certainty is only temporal. Uncertainty brings in dynamics, spontaneous change.

Question 8

De Roo talked about Fibonacci. What did he find out?

Answer 8

Sequence: he found a rythym in nature that was precepted as hidden. Hidden structures tell us how the world works. Mathematics can be used to understand the world as such.

Question 9

After Fibonacci De Roo talked about Mandelbrot. What did he find out?

Answer 9

Also sequences. Broken structures: fractals. Non-linear development from center to surroundings. Outward moving, growing structure. If you zoom in or out the structure remains the same. As well with the city.
* Hidden structures that are there but we haven’t seen them yet.

Question 10

Difference between Fobancci and Mandelbrot’s philosophies?

Answer 10

Fibonacci’s sequence is static, Mandelbrot’s sequence is more dynamic. It evolves.

Question 11

Explain the fractals thing.

Answer 11

It’s about structures you see everywhere. Humans use these structures. Transforming space and place at once with the orderedness. We are in between fractals. Structures that are repeating themselves

Metaphor for self-similarity: we have a m ulti-level perspective, and on each level w e see the same pattern emerging

Not a single forest from past. All trees are planted in line with a planning structure. If one of them gets sick, all of them gets sick
* No robustness or diversity

Metaphore for adaptive planning.