ABSTRACT
In this chapter I review, from a reflective practitioner’s perspective, the ways in which research across a broad range of interdisciplinary perspectives can support and enrich our urban explorations in a city such as London. This runs contrary to the dominant practices that shape our cities where specialist practitioners spend too little time understanding the city, and too much time imposing their own particular perspective from the closed silo of their limited ‘professional’ understanding. Focusing mostly upon transport systems, I will begin by discussing the layers and patterns within this city and the need to fully understand the natural evolution of cities generally in their growth and development. From there, I will use my work on London to support my case for looking at cities as a network of layered systems.
