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A Cybernetic Analysis of Urban Mobility Through the Viable System Model: Designing City Mobility Systems With Citizen Self-Management
Abstract
Urban mobility systems are complex, dynamic, and critical for sustainable city development. This chapter applies Stafford Beer's Viable System Model (VSM), a framework from organizational cybernetics, to the design of urban mobility. The VSM outlines five essential functions (Systems 1–5) that enable complex systems to remain viable amid internal and external challenges. We propose a theoretical model where government, private, and citizen-led mobility services operate as semi-autonomous units within a coordinated meta-system. Emphasis is placed on integrating citizen participation and self-managed initiatives into the system's governance structure, in line with emerging smart city paradigms. Through a conceptual case study, we illustrate how cybernetic principles—such as distributed control, feedback loops, and recursive structures—can enhance responsiveness, resilience, and legitimacy. The result is a mobility system that is not only efficient but also adaptive, learning, and co-governed, aligning with the needs and values of the communities it serves.
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