• property norms were negotiated through shared memory and moral obligation.

 

“Mechanisms of distribution in the alleys of Kabul did not primarily follow formal state directives but rather a social code that was based on fair use, respect, and reputation.”

Zahra Breshna, Kabul fieldnotes, 2004

 

 

These systems evolved through practice, negotiation, and collective ethics, forming a governance architecture both durable and dynamic.

 

From Regulation to Respect

 

This form of cultural regulation was never just about efficiency. It relied on “honor economies”—trust, reputation, and intergenerational learning. This is what allowed these neighborhoods to function even in the absence of external control. Self-organization, then, was not unplanned—it was differently planned.

 

What We Lost (And Can Learn)

 

Today, urban development programs often mistake self-organization for administrative failure—or attempt to replace it with participation models that ignore the power of embedded norms.

 

By failing to recognize this, we overlook what cities already know how to do.

 

 

URBAN STEPS and the Return of Memory

 

URBAN STEPS does not seek to idealize self-organization, but to learn from it. We explore how these forms of “cultural cohabitation” might support more inclusive, flexible planning—especially in areas where state presence is limited.

 

Our methods Uncover/Study (U/S) and Bridge/Activate (B/A) draw directly on these field studies: historical maps, neighborhood surveys, and the living memory of street-level planning. Through this lens, we understand cities not only as challenges to be governed, but also as systems that have long governed themselves.

 

Recovering that memory does not mean turning backward; it means carrying forward a resource that cities already hold.

 

The question is not whether self-organization or a regulative framework should prevail, but how the two can meet in ways that allow cities to endure.

 

Next in the Series

 

This post is part of the URBAN STEPS essay series. Upcoming essays will explore:

 

• Rethinking Urban Responsibility

 

Join the dialogue. Shape the strategy. Walk the ground.