Cool article that relates a lot to
permaculture through other means: The evolution of design to amplify flow -
http://edgeperspectives.typepad.com/edge_perspectives/2012/01/the-evolution-of-design-to-amplify-flow.html
"This book illustrates the power of living on the edge. It crosses a wide array of disciplines, ranging from physics and biology to technology and urban studies, in its quest to define a universal law of flow. By pulling back from individual disciplines, it identifies patterns that were either missed or misunderstood in more narrow contexts.
Introducing the constructal law
The core mission of this book is to introduce us to the constructal law: “For a finite-size flow system to persist in time (to live), its configuration must evolve in such a way that provides easier access to the currents that flow through it.” There is an imperative here: “The constructal law is a shout from the rooftops: Everything that flows and moves generates designs that evolve to survive (to live)."