Article URL: https://claytondorge.com/patterns-list Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49013924 Points: 28 # Comments: 2

I read every word of Christopher Alexander’s opus, A Pattern Language so you don’t have to. It’s intimidating to read the whole book (1,100+ pages) while learning the 253 patterns he describes. So, I started a Twitter handle to help me learn by posting about one pattern each day. Here, I collected all 253 Patterns in one list to easily reference. Receive a simple PDF version via email below! What must be built gradually piece by piece with small individual acts in order to fit within larger global patterns. 1. Independent Regions - Metropolitan regions will not come to balance until each one is small and autonomous enough to to be an independent sphere of culture. 2. The Distribution of Towns - If the pop. of a region is weighted too far toward small villages, modern civilization can never emerge; If the pop. is weighted too far toward big cities, the earth will go to ruin b/c the pop. isn’t where it needs to be, to take care of it. 3. City Country Fingers - Continuous sprawling urbanization destroys life, and makes cities unbearable. But the sheer size of cities is also valuable and potent. 4. Agricultural Valleys - Keep town and city development along the hilltops and hillsides. In the valleys, be a steward of the land and embrace basic ecological responsibilities. 5. Lace of Country Streets - Where city and country meet, place country roads at least a mile apart, so they enclose squares of countryside and farmland. Keep the housing in rows or clusters along the roads, with the working land behind them.