ABSTRACT
This paper suggests a way of analyzing the behavior systems of people in ways which can contribute to knowledge of how the productive machine and the urban environment interact. The unit of analysis is the “episode” in people’s patterns of activity, and it is used to measure and analyze their reaction to their environments. The conceptual framework embodies a systemic view of people in routine interaction with the environment. At this stage in the work the research strategy has of necessity emphasized time patterns. But sufficient work has been done in relating spatial aspects of activities to time patterns to indicate how both facets of this way of conceptualizing a city offer a means of relating urban resource policy to the living patterns of people who are presumed to benefit from such policy. Some brief extensions of the time analysis to the spatial analysis will be brought into the discussion below.
