Christopher Alexander, Influential Author of "A Pattern Language," Passes Away at 85

Christopher Alexander died on March 17, leaving behind a towering legacy of influence on the fields of architecture, planning, and urban design.

1 minute read

March 20, 2022, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


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Christopher Alexander, author of A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction and The Battle for the Life and Beauty of the Earth, among other books and essays, passed away on March 17 after a long illness.

Alexander's death was first reported by Michael Mehaffy and commemorated with an article on the CNU Public Square written by Robert Steuteville.

Steuteville describes Alexander as "a towering figure in architecture and urbanism" and "one of the biggest influences on the New Urbanism movement." Both Planetizen and Brent Toderian ranked A Pattern Language as one of the top planning books of all time. In 2017, Planetizen readers also ranked Alexander as one of the most influential urbanists of all time.

More suggested reading and listening on the influence of Christopher Alexander's A Pattern Language:

Friday, March 18, 2022 in CNU Public Square

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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