Natural resources Quote by Derek Hatley
![“The point is best made by stating that not all systems are requirements-driven, at least, not driven by formal written requirements of the kind we have described so far [Rechtin 97]. As an example: A city is a people-made system, but (with a few notable exceptions) no one actually sits down and…” quote by Derek Hatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/137/derek-hatley-75451_natural-resources_the-point-is-best-made-by-stating-that-n_3069045.jpg)
““The point is best made by stating that not all systems are requirements-driven, at least, not driven by formal written requirements of the kind we have described so far [Rechtin 97]. As an example: A city is a people-made system, but (with a few notable exceptions) no one actually sits down and writes a set of requirements for a city, and then builds it. Rather, cities evolve over time, starting as small settlements exploiting favorable locations or natural resources, and growing as new facilities are added and more people decide to move in. It is most unlikely that the original settlers on Manhattan Island ever dreamed what their creation would grow into!””
About This Quote
Source Lecture: Systems Engineering Seminar, 2019
Cities evolve organically without formal requirements, illustrating that complex systems often arise from incremental, emergent processes.
In simple terms: Cities grow without written plans.
Key Takeaway
Accept emergent development in complex systems.
Themes
systems thinking
urban planning
emergence
Mood
analytical
pragmatic
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- city design
- software development
- policy making
Key Concepts
complex adaptive systems
infrastructure
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you manage emergent complexity?
- What requirements are essential?
A Different Perspective
Lack of formal requirements can lead to inefficiencies.
![“It's taken a hundred years or more for some of these places [inner cities] to evolve and they evolved many of them very badly, but we're going to work very hard on health and health care.” quote by Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/382/donald-trump-18_care_it-s-taken-a-hundred-years-or-more-for-s_1290488.jpg)
