Importance: 10%
The Big Idea
This change is basically the idea that all life giving change comes from an unfolding process that starts with the current structure of the whole and makes step by step changes to enhance and extend the wholeness. This process respects the current structure and basically seeks to change the least amount of big/strong/living centers in order to maximize the positive effects of the change. Because if you introduce a new strong center but destroy two others you really haven’t improved anything.
Notes that I am reading through and hope to get my hands on a full copy soon: Link to Nature of Order Book 2 Cliff notesChristopher Alexander lays out the process for how he sees structure preserving change come about. - Alexander uses the 15 properties of good centers or the geometry that gives them more life as also the names of structure preserving transformation that injects that particular type of strengthening into the system of centers. This is generally called “unfolding” by Alexander - list of these transformations - The overall way to under stand this is through the process of Differentiation of the whole to get parts. Like a cell divides to grow a baby. This is vital rather than the mechanistic model of adding parts together to make a whole. The whole idea is that we are starting from wholeness and enhancing it rather than assembling it. this preserves the previous structure and enhances it. The process of differentiation - In parallel with differentiation is a cleaning out process Conclusion of the discussion on generated complexity