Deep neural complexity theory has recently received new attention, particularly in the study of climate and the
environment. According to the majority of the research on urban climate resilience, cities are complex adaptive systems, and as such,
urban governance and design should take cues from the study of complex adaptive systems. This means that climate change
governance, in order to mitigate the problems presented by climate change's unpredictability, has to be flexible, participatory, and
adaptive. This article provides a critical literature review on the topic of Complex Urban Systems, i.e., climate change governance in
the context of complexity theory. The paper argues that the current hype around complexity theory exaggerates the theory's relevance.
Complexity theory falls short in explaining urbanization and environmental change since they are highly contested social phenomena.
However, it serves a significant purpose in bringing attention to the uncertainty realities in the process of policy-making, which are
certainly fundamental in the context of climate change, including the changing ecologies on which cities rely. Many critics of
complexity theory point out that it tends to showcase urban developments are happening through neutral evolutionary forces, which
can be comprehended, and governed by individuals engaged in governance for a particular objective.
Keywords
Complexity Theory, Complex Urban Systems, Complex Adaptive Systems
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Madeleine Wang Yue Dong
Madeleine Wang Yue Dong
School of Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
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Cite this article
Madeleine Wang Yue Dong, “A Critical Analysis on Complex Urban Systems and Complex Systems Theory”, Journal of Computing and Natural Science, vol.3, no.1, pp. 024-034, January 2023. doi: 10.53759/181X/JCNS202303003.
