I'll tell you one of my favourite things: Emergent Structure.

More specifically, I love dirt paths on grass. Not just in the country-side - but in the urban environment. You know when a grass verge naturally gains a natural pathway, because the real tarmac one takes a more indirect route? Them. They're wonderful. They're people intrinsically rebelling against someone trying to enforce a ludricous order onto you. An Architect fucked up - and people just did what made sense. It's things like that which gives someone who occasionally dabbels in Anarchist thought hope. Order is not based on Authority. Given the chance, we can order ourselves quite happily.

Chatting to Jim about this and he told me a story. Something about Sussex University, though he wasn't sure. I'll look it upmyself later. One of the one's that was built in the sixties, anyway. When building the place, they took a rather unique approach. Rather than an architect sitting down and planning where the walk-ways and whatever would be built, they did something entirely unexpected.

They just covered the entire area with grass. And left it.

Three months after the students were there they went to any place that was trod down and muddy and laid down tarmac. And lo - a path system that made sense and people stuck to.

To me, that's almost too beautiful for words.