Quantum environments: urban design in the post-Cartesian paradigm

Abstract

At the dawn of the Millennium, a radical paradigm shift is happening. A new world view is implied by the discoveries of quantum theory and the new sciences of the latter half of the twentieth century. Urban design has always responded to the world view of its designers and users; different disciplines have already responded with enthusiasm to the new paradigm as a possible way out of the fin de siècle malaise. This paper poses the question whether a world view based on quantum theory can produce a better approach to the problems of the city?