Reading Mutations: An Urban Diagram of Time

Since time is a way to read the city, how can urban processes be captured in a single drawing? Moreover, how can diagrammatic concepts and mapping techniques be used to reveal mutations in the city? The concept of mutation, strictly related to time, refers to the formal and functional changes that occur within a stable urban frame. To show this concept, it is necessary to reconsider traditional methods of representation. The map, historically used to define the physical form of the city, provides a grounded and static reading of the space. The diagram, on the other hand, introduces a conceptual dimension, allowing for the representation of relationships, processes, and transformations. Rather than searching for permanent elements to validate the city’s logic, this work defines mutations as a fundamental key to understanding contemporary urban dynamics. Through this lens, the use of the diagram enables the invention of new spatial narratives, producing a new specific reality within a new temporality, delving into diachronic and synchronic time.