What is a pattern language?

Pattern Languages seem to be a good way to describe a complex reality. The term is used for collection of various concepts and elements of reality that work harmoniously together cocreating individual structures: (a very rough idea comes from this diagram: http://www.conservationeconomy.net)

The Term "Pattern Language" was coined by Christopher Alexander.
Christopher Alexander was born in Vienna, Austria in 1936. He is Professor in the Graduate School and Emeritus Professor of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley.

"A Pattern Language", a seminal work that was one of the first complete book ever written in hypertext fashion, appeared in 1977 at Oxford university Press. A small group of enthusiasts in Vienna have also made the book available in German. But you can go and read the book online! See:

• http://www.patternlanguage.com/ (Membership required)
• a childs story of pattern language
• /HowToWriteAPattern

Why Pattern Language for Global Villages?

From "Independent Regions" to "Mosaic of Subcultures" there are many patterns in Christopher Alexanders work that apply to GlobalVillages.

But they are not enough to sufficiently describe this unique new form of human settlement enabled by post - industrial realities.

(something close is also P.M.s unique Pattern Language "Bolo'Bolo", (see in this Wiki: BoloBolo) which translates roughly as "The Life Maintaining Neighbourhoods" and which is one the most visionary books I have ever read. Here we see a world created on the base of working neighborhoods, yet with too little emphasis on the irreversible and positive changes technology has brought to our lives.)

My deepest thanks go to Tony S. Gwilliam who has written the first, yet unpublished book on Global Villages "Bring Your Mind Home". Many of the patterns are his discovery. The book is available in full image here:

• http://www.tonygwilliam.com/book/Bring-Your-Mind-Home-I.pdf
• http://www.tonygwilliam.com/book/Bring-Your-Mind-Home-II.pdf
• http://www.tonygwilliam.com/book/Bring-Your-Mind-Home-III.pdf

Pattern List

So here is the very first sketch of a pattern list. We discuss these patterns in

A - Planetary Patterns relevant to GlobalVillages

• Global Consensus about Unity and Diversity
• Space of Flows
• Bioregions
• Cultural Landscapes
• Automation and Standards
• Inventories and Repositories
• Networks and Noospheres
• Governance and Borders
• Corporations and Communities
• Individuals

• Mothercities
• Grids

• Water
• Resource Management (Material Brokerage)
• Mobility
• Small Town in Global Networks
• Managing the Mosaic

• GlobalVillage
• The Cultural (Nima)
• The Natural
• Agrotectures
• The Housing Spectrum
• The Global District
• The Spiritual District
• Greenways
• Service Ways

• The House of Knowledge
• The House of Tools
• The Piazza
• The Matter-Energy-Information Cycle

Comments and Suggestions:

Please use: http://transitionus.ning.com/group/globalvillagesintransition/forum/topics/what-is-a-global-village

As always, I'd suggest that patterns are not observations like "fine weather" but something you can create like "development plan". They are less like ephemeral ideas or wishes like "global consenses" but more like real structures like a "learning center" or an "glass fibre tutorial video". Pattern should be creatable, reachable by personal decisions and actions. If you want some goal like "world peace" then you probably have to create one or more pattern languages to get there. There is no value in a pattern if you can't answer the question "what can I do to get there". The desire for foreign countries is fruitless as motivation for ship-building, if the know-how and the wood is lacking: then the way is to grow trees and to grow ship-building know-how in many small steps. It is no use to follow Alexander in the "pattern language" concept and to violate the "pattern" concept and the "stepwise" concept. -- HelmutLeitner July 15, 2010 10:15 CET