Fire, rebirth, and pace layers

In the second of our new series on “big, odd ideas” we look at Stewart Brand’s concept of “pace layering”.

“In an unexpected fashion the Great Fire removed without charge many of the problems of the medieval London that Evelyn so much deplored. Nowhere is his zeal in public affairs more evident than in the speed with which he put together his proposals for rebuilding along lines that would have made London the most spacious, commodious and elegant city of Eu…