Intelligent, sustainable, liveable cities

Geddes (1854–1932), a Scottish biologist, sociologist, philanthropist and pioneering town planner, devised various ‘thinking machines’ as a way of studying the human interaction with the environment. The notation of life (Figure 18.1) planning concept focused on the headings: town (acts), school (facts), cloister (dreams) and city (deeds) integrated with the triad of doing work, in a place and with folk (Welter, 2002). This recognised our need to live and work in places, have social relationships and be creative by learning. At a deeper level, he expressed the dreams and reality aspects of life which can be realised through passive acts and active deeds.