Showing posts with label emergence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emergence. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Planning
Got this email from a colleague at another university
I continue to be impressed by the crosswalk situation on University Avenue by A_____ Hall. Top down planning dictated that a crosswalk be emphasized with a prominent sign that cars yield for pedestrians. It is like California in the extreme. A pedestrian steps off the curb and cars screech to a halt as far as the eye can see. It is often difficult for cars to move down University Avenue without many starts and stops. Sometimes a single pedestrian holds up 20 to 50 cars or more.
Prior to the prominent sign and crosswalk we had a bottom-up system of pedestrian crossing and car movement along University. This was the case for decades. Pedestrians moved in and out among the cars and the cars moved in and out among the pedestrians. It was seamless as each pedestrian and each driver looked out for the other. Pedestrians did not want to be hit by the cars and the drivers did not want to hit the pedestrians. As far as I know there were almost no accidents, certainly less than what we must have today with all the starting and stopping of automobiles. Not to mention the environmental costs and car wear and tear. It was a perfect example of how an emergent system ordered human activity far better than the top-down planner.
Q: but doesn't someone have to be in CHARGE?
A: No.
I continue to be impressed by the crosswalk situation on University Avenue by A_____ Hall. Top down planning dictated that a crosswalk be emphasized with a prominent sign that cars yield for pedestrians. It is like California in the extreme. A pedestrian steps off the curb and cars screech to a halt as far as the eye can see. It is often difficult for cars to move down University Avenue without many starts and stops. Sometimes a single pedestrian holds up 20 to 50 cars or more.
Prior to the prominent sign and crosswalk we had a bottom-up system of pedestrian crossing and car movement along University. This was the case for decades. Pedestrians moved in and out among the cars and the cars moved in and out among the pedestrians. It was seamless as each pedestrian and each driver looked out for the other. Pedestrians did not want to be hit by the cars and the drivers did not want to hit the pedestrians. As far as I know there were almost no accidents, certainly less than what we must have today with all the starting and stopping of automobiles. Not to mention the environmental costs and car wear and tear. It was a perfect example of how an emergent system ordered human activity far better than the top-down planner.
Q: but doesn't someone have to be in CHARGE?
A: No.
Monday, May 02, 2011
What Is Classical Liberalism?
Nigel Ashford answers. A seven minute video.
As you can see/hear, Dr. Ashford tends to think of classical liberals as minarchists, and not anarchists. I agree, but that opinion is by no means universally held.
As you can see/hear, Dr. Ashford tends to think of classical liberals as minarchists, and not anarchists. I agree, but that opinion is by no means universally held.
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