Cities are currently experiencing serious, multifaceted impacts from global environmental change, especially climate change, and the degree to which they will need to cope with and adapt to such challenges will continue to increase. A complex systems approach inspired by evolutionary theory can inform strategies for policies and interventions to deal with growing urban vulnerabilities. Such an approach would guide the design of new (and redesign of existing) urban structures, while promoting innovative integration of grey, green and blue infrastructure in service of environmental and health objectives. Moreover, it would contribute to more flexible, effective policies for urban management and the use of urban space. Four decades ago, in a seminal paper in Science, the French evolutionary biologist and philosopher Francois Jacob noted that evolution differs significantly in its characteristic modes of action from processes that are designed and engineered de novo (Jacob in Science 196(4295):1161–1166, 1977). He labeled the evolutionary process “tinkering”, recognizing its foundation in the modification and molding of existing traits and forms, with occasional dramatic shifts in function in the context of changing conditions. This contrasts greatly with conventional engineering and design approaches that apply tailor-made materials and tools to achieve well-defined functions that are specified a priori. We here propose that urban tinkering is the application of evolutionary thinking to urban design, engineering, ecological restoration, management and governance. We define urban tinkering as:

A mode of operation, encompassing policy, planning and management processes, that seeks to transform the use of existing and design of new urban systems in ways that diversify their functions, anticipate new uses and enhance adaptability, to better meet the social, economic and ecological needs of cities under conditions of deep uncertainty about the future.

This approach has the potential to substantially complement and augment conventional urban development, replacing predictability, linearity and monofunctional design with anticipation of uncertainty and non-linearity and design for multiple, potentially shifting functions. Urban tinkering can function by promoting a diversity of small-scale urban experiments that, in aggregate, lead to large-scale often playful innovative solutions to the problems of sustainable development. Moreover, the tinkering approach is naturally suited to exploring multi-functional uses and approaches (e.g., bricolage) for new and existing urban structures and policies through collaborative engagement and analysis. It is thus well worth exploring as a means of delivering co-benefits for environment and human health and wellbeing. Indeed, urban tinkering has close ties to systems approaches, which often are recognized as critical to sustainable development. We believe this concept can help forge much-closer, much-needed ties among engineers, architects, evolutionary ecologists, health specialists, and numerous other urban stakeholders in developing innovative, widely beneficial solutions for society and contribute to successful implementation of SDG11 and the New Urban Agenda.

中文翻译：

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城市修补。

当前，城市正受到全球环境变化（尤其是气候变化）的严重，多方面的影响，城市应对和应对此类挑战的程度将继续提高。受进化理论启发的复杂系统方法可以为应对日益严重的城市脆弱性的政策和干预策略提供信息。这种方法将指导新的（和现有的重新设计）城市结构的设计，同时促进灰色，绿色和蓝色基础设施的创新整合，以服务于环境和健康目标。此外，它将有助于制定更灵活，更有效的城市管理和城市空间使用政策。四十年前，在《科学》杂志的一篇开创性论文中，法国进化生物学家和哲学家弗朗索瓦·雅各布（Francois Jacob）指出，进化的特征作用方式与从头设计和工程化的过程截然不同（Jacob in Science 196（4295）：1161-1166，1977）。他将进化过程称为“修补”，认识到它在修改和塑造现有特征和形式的基础上，在条件变化的情况下偶尔会发生戏剧性的变化。这与传统的工程和设计方法形成鲜明对比，后者采用量身定制的材料和工具来实现事先定义好的功能明确的功能。我们在这里提出，城市修补是将进化思想应用于城市设计，工程，生态恢复，管理和治理的应用。我们将城市修补定义为：

一种操作模式，包括政策，规划和管理流程，旨在以多样化的功能，预期新的用途和增强适应性的方式，改变现有城市系统的使用和新城市系统的设计，以更好地满足社会，经济和生态环境在对未来充满不确定性的条件下城市的需求。

这种方法有可能极大地补充和扩大传统的城市发展，用对不确定性和非线性的预见性，线性和单功能设计以及针对多个可能发生变化的功能的设计来替代。城市修修补补可通过促进各种小型城市实验而发挥作用，这些实验总体上导致针对可持续发展问题的大规模，通常是好玩的创新解决方案。此外，修补方法自然适用于通过协作参与和分析，探索新的和现有的城市结构和政策的多功能用途和方法（例如Bricolage）。因此，作为为环境，人类健康和福祉提供共同利益的一种手段，值得探索。确实，城市修修补补与系统方法密切相关，而系统方法通常被认为对可持续发展至关重要。我们相信，这一概念可以帮助工程师，建筑师，进化生态学家，卫生专家以及众多其他城市利益相关者之间建立更紧密，迫切的联系，为社会开发创新的，广泛受益的解决方案，并为成功实施SDG11和新城市议程。