Figure 2.7 A Regional Design Charrette

Figure 2.7 A Regional Design Charrette

Source: Adapted from Lennertz and Lutzenhiser (2006); photos by Sebastian Moffatt. Note: A regional design charrette is an intense exercise that progresses over several days through orientation, thematic design, and concept design with lots of opportunities for discussion, feedback, and presentations.

scale, walkability, streetscapes, and public space. Specifi c locations may be used as case studies. Engineers and planners may address urban resource fl ows and include schematics and plans for alternative infrastructure. In this way, the design charrette expands to address all urban systems at the city scale.

In a charrette, the scale will vary to match the project. If the objective is to create a longterm regional plan, the scale will need to encompass the entire urban area and the rural fringe. One team might focus on boundaries and connections, another on the formation of complete neighborhoods, and another on infrastructure systems (urban systems). All teams are directed by the end-state goals. At fi rst, the small teams talk and share information and ideas. Then the process progresses from simple drawings to complete plans, layered maps, sketches, meta diagrams, and schematics. The pace of the workshop accelerates until it ends with a surprising amount of work accomplished. In the words of Patrick Condon (2008), a Canadian expert who has led many such workshops, a charrette is “the best way to get the most creative proposals to address the most diffi cult problems from the most accomplished designers in the most compressed period.” A charrette is a collaborative approach to design that may off er much more creativity and interdisciplinary thinking than is normal in city planning. At the beginning of the charrette, the teams review and discuss the city’s or region’s long-term planning framework (fi gure 2.7). During the workshop, the teams engage frequently with invited members of the public and specialists by means of many small presentations and intense discussions and drawing

sessions. This broad and meaningful engagement contributes to a positive outcome, with less fear and resistance from stakeholders, and with signifi cant potential for reaching consensus on contentious issues such as the way to apply best practices in the local context.

A regional design charrette concludes with a plenary presentation to stakeholders, important personalities, and the public and the preparation of a well-illustrated publication with recommendations on the RGS. (For manuals and case studies on charrettes, see Condon 2008; Lennertz and Lutzenhiser 2006; Swanepoel, Campbell, and Moff at 2003.)

References

Condon, Patrick M. 2008. Design Charrettes for

Sustainable Communities. Washington, DC: Island

Press. EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit). 2008. “Sustainable

Urban Infrastructure: London Edition; A View to 2025.” Siemens AG, Munich. http://w1.siemens. com/entry/cc/en/sustainablecities.htm. Lennertz, Bill, and Aarin Lutzenhiser. 2006. The

Charrette Handbook: The Essential Guide to

Accelerated Collaborative Community Planning.

Chicago: APA Planners Press. Meadows, Donnella. 1999. “Leverage Points: Places to

Intervene in a System.” Sustainability Institute,

Hartland, VT. Swanepoel, Lourette, Elisa Campbell, and Sebastian

Moff at. 2003. “Tools for Planning for Long-Term

Sustainability: The CitiesPLUS Design Charrettes.” Research report, Canada Mortgage and

Housing Corporation, Ottawa.

CHAPTER 9

Methods for Analyzing Flows and Forms

Meta Diagrams and Material Flow Analysis

The meta diagram is one of the most powerful tools available for systems thinking about infrastructure design and performance. It has two dimensions: it is a visualization tool that illustrates complex information in simple and standard ways; and it is a calculation method that tracks the fl ows of energy, water, and materials through cities. This section explores both dimensions of the meta diagram and the way that the meta diagram helps develop a systems perspective and may contribute in many ways to the process of integrated infrastructure design.

The visualization tool is a type of Sankey diagram. Like all Sankey diagrams, its function is to illustrate fl ow directions and quantities. Figure 2.8 provides an explanation of how a Sankey is constructed and interpreted. By illustrating quantity and the direction of fl ows, the Sankey displays more information on a single page than does any other graphic. As is often said, one Sankey is worth a thousand pie charts.

The calculation method is referred to as material fl ow analysis. The method tracks fl ows as a balanced set of input-output accounts. The inputs are either resources derived directly from nature (rainwater, for example, or local sunshine and biomass) or resources imported from other regions. Inputs are then tracked as they fl ow through the city’s infrastructure and buildings. Typically, the input fl ows are fi rst processed; for example, rain might be fi ltered, sunshine converted to electricity, or biomass burned to create heat. After processing, the fl ows are used to satisfy the demand for services, such as drinking, lighting, and cooking. After servicing demand, the fl ows may again be processed; for example, sewage might be treated, or biogas captured and recycled. Finally, the fl ows are returned to nature as waste and emissions to the air, water, and land, or they might be stored or exported to other regions. Whatever the resource or pathway, the inputs always equal the outputs.

If analyzed through the material fl ow analysis method, a city’s infrastructure appears simi-