I recently came across this video on a concept known as pace layers thinking. Essentially, it is a conceptual framework introduced by Stewart Brand to describe how different aspects of civilization evolve at varying speeds. It highlights the juxtaposition between fast-changing and slow-changing elements in society, emphasizing how they work together to create resilience and stability. The model is often visualized as a series of concentric layers, each moving at its own pace, with faster layers driving innovation and slower layers providing stability and context.
The idea describes our civilisation as a structure composed of six layers: Fashion, Commerce, Infrastructure, Governance, Culture, and Nature, each with its own rate of movement. The concept appeals to the idea that faster layers focus on development while slower ones are key to maintaining and ensuring stability. The dynamic shift between the layers then creates a system that is robust and resilient to change. Pace Layers are a useful concept as they help to make sense of how different aspects of society may develop, be maintained or contest each other in the future.
Bangalore, the city which has now become my home is an interesting case in the context of understanding the Pace Layers framework. While I have been living in this city for almost 15 years now, pace-layer thinking has allowed me to see my experience in a new light. There are areas in this city where rapid changes due to technological development co-exist with areas that have traditions that span centuries.
The top moving layer is represented by start-ups in Bangalore, which constantly try to be on trend in fashion- always chasing the next big thing, always bouncing around ideas, trying to re-invent from something that has already been done, or perfect an already existing but flawed system. In any cafe in the city, there will be tens of entrepreneurs meeting for their next big idea or recruiting for their exciting new startups. The dynamic lifestyle of the youth and largely immigrant population also plays a role in the fast-moving fashion and commerce layers, with areas coming up with new eateries, pubs and breweries to cater to this population.
In this city, I have also noticed how these fast-moving layers have led to the infrastructure developing at alarming rates, too. Perhaps too alarming.
Bangalore, a city which was famous for its lakes and lovely weather, has now become a battleground for traffic and rapidly heating summers. This can be reflected as a direct result of some layers moving too quickly, causing a clash with others. While the fast topmost layers are ever-evolving, the bottom ones are perhaps not. The governance, in particular, seems to be crawling slower than snail-pace.
The constant need to expand the city to accommodate a large number of immigrants and the growing population has led to unplanned infrastructure development, something which has happened unchecked at high rates in the last decade or so. This has clashed directly with the ever-slow-moving governance, slowly giving rise to issues that did not exist in Bangalore previously. The governance and planning have not been able to keep up with the quick growth of the city, and it is quite apparent. Not to mention the impact on the layers of culture and nature. The clash in culture is now starting to become apparent, with many native Kannadigas opposing Hindi imposition and the immigrant movement.
Meanwhile, to make space for the ever-expanding infrastructure requirements, many lakes and gardens have been cleared out and replaced by tech parks or high-rise apartment complexes. The infrastructure in the city is playing catch up with new enterprises and the migration of people seeking economic opportunities. This growth is rarely accompanied by long-term regard for the culture or the environment, and it is visible here, too. Governance has always struggled to catch up with the developmental pace, and this is because roads and services are lagging behind the growing economy.
The imbalance of the fast and the slow layers leads to flooding after unplanned urban expansion, cultural dissonance due to the migration of new members with different expectations, and an overambitious city with an infrastructure that can barely keep up. Nature, the slowest of all the layers, is often in command through extreme weather and other natural calamities that are now becoming commonplace, especially excessive rain and now heat too. This imbalance has shaped my perception of what happens when faster layers move too quickly without the support of slower, stabilizing forces.
Bangalore is an objectively worse place to live than it was 10 years ago. This supposition is a direct consequence and statement that the slow-moving layers are also very important in balancing growth. While in some aspects, the development of the city is visible, the pace layers framework shows how important the slower layers are in helping a city stay viable, and that while fast-paced growth in some sectors is inevitable and helpful, it must also be balanced by growth in slower sectors as well.
Using the framework, the allure of each of these layers is visible, and it also becomes apparent how each one of them is important. From observing the large amounts of opportunities that open up due to the fast layers, they are extremely significant in helping uplift and provide growth to families. Staying in Bangalore and observing how the city has grown too rapidly is also an example of what happens when one layer is too fast for another or another is too slow.
In conclusion, the Pace Layers framework highlights the need for harmony between fast-moving forces like business and slower ones like governance and nature. The example of Bangalore shows rapid growth and how it can cause imbalance, as unchecked development strains infrastructure, culture, and the environment. Sustainable progress depends on aligning all the layers, ensuring that innovation and growth are supported by thoughtful governance and preservation of cultural and natural foundations. Only by balancing speed and stability can cities remain resilient, livable and sustainable for future generations.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. If you have burning thoughts or opinions to express, please feel free to reach out to us at larra@globalindiannetwork.com.
