Tantoush, M., Sengupta, U., 2025.

Towards Complex Spatiotemporal Patterns: A Theoretical Framework for Capturing and Analysing how Cities Function

This paper presents a theoretical framework for capturing and analysing complex city dynamics, extending Christopher Alexander's pattern theory to incorporate temporality. Alexander's foundational work, namely A Pattern Language, illustrated cities as interconnected systems with nested, recurrent patterns. While the dynamic and evolving nature of cities was acknowledged, patterns theory remained largely spatial and non-temporal, limited by the available data and methodologies. The theoretical framework development in this paper addresses this gap through an interdisciplinary framework, combining complex systems, patterns, urban morphology and digital geography theories. This framework introduces a novel approach to analysing cities as complex spatiotemporal patterns, using high-resolution digital traces--such as geolocated social media data--to explore how cities function and adapt over short-time horizons. By processing such data into spatiotemporal patterns as new analytical outcomes, this approach captures urban dynamics that traditional a-temporal analyses cannot. This shift addresses urban form and activities as interrelated, where the physical form (hard systems/city) supports activities (soft systems/city) within a dynamic, bottom-up structure. An application of the framework is also presented to illustrates its value in identifying high-resolution spatiotemporal activity patterns. The extension of pattern theory to incorporate temporal complexity is the main contribution of this paper, presenting an applicable approach relevant to different research areas. This approach can be used to reveal mechanisms shaping urban dynamics--such as behavioural shifts during disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic--highlighting emergent patterns. This research advances pattern theory as a relevant analytical approach for sustainable urban development, urban design, architecture and urban planning.