City Resilience Consulting Using the Acclaimed Pattern Language Methodology

Introducing a new offering from our consultancy in 2026: "City Resilience Consulting Using the Acclaimed Pattern Language Methodology". This service builds on work we have already been doing in the USA and internationally, developing custom and localized pattern languages ready to be translated into urban codes, policies, and implemented projects.

Cities and towns today face compound risks: climate shocks, housing shortages, infrastructure stress, economic fragility, and social fragmentation. Conventional planning approaches tend to address these challenges one at a time, often producing siloed plans that are difficult to implement.

Pattern languages offer a proven alternative. Developed by architect and systems theorist Christopher Alexander, and now widely used in fields ranging from software engineering to environmental planning, pattern languages help communities articulate shared values and translate them into coordinated, actionable strategies, codes, ordinances, financial tools, and specific projects.

We offer the service in three tiers: a "Pattern Sprint," a two-day intensive workshop followed by a one-month production process generating 25-30 editable electronic and print patterns; a three-month "Patterns Into Codes" translation process, providing zoning and form-based codes for adoption' and a longer "Civic Scenarios" service, using AI-based scenario visualization to test alternatives for translation into codes, policies, and/or built projects.

More information: https://www.michaelmehaffy.com/