ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the characteristics of three projects are compared to 'living systems'. As for Marine City Project, 1958, the perspective drawing with several similar 'Marine Cities' floating independently suggests the growth of the city, which Kikutake explains as an analogy of the reproduction of living organisms. "The construction of Marine City will start from the floating manufacturing plants which will be the mother's body of Marine City. From this plant city, new units of Marine City will be delivered out one by one". As for Marine City Unabara Project, 1960, the expansion of the city is explained as an analogy of cell division, as the process of growth and reproduction of the eukaryotic cell. Tange's proposal for Boston Harbor to differentiate structures with long life cycles, such as the urban infrastructure, from structures with short life cycles, such as the dwelling equipment, was based on the analogy to the parts of living organisms that have different cycles of renewal.
