LOCAL SYMMETRY
LOCAL SYMMETRY Symmetry is in many ways the most important property in cities, and in living structures too. There are many kinds of symmetries — bilateral (like our two hands), radial (like the irises of our eyes), and so on. There are also many compound symmetries, like our eyes (each of which is radial while both are bilateral). But breaks in symmetry are also very important, as we are learning from many fields today, notably physics. A relentless form of symmetry that does not break when adaptive conditions require it is oppressive, and usually indicates a faulty process of generation. (Including a designer who has become megalomaniacal with their design, as can be seen in, say, the vast, overly-symmetrical palaces of some despots.) A more benign form of symmetry can be seen occurring spontaneously in many places — exquisitely symmetrical at local and human scales, but interrupted at larger scales, especially when topography or other conditions prompt an adaptive shift....