CITY SYSTEMS THINKING
Creative research tools for unlocking urban innovation
PRESENTED BY
MATT CARREAU mgcarreau@gmail.com @mgcarreau
SYSTEMS THINKING? Systems thinking is a way of seeing the world as an interconnected network of relationships. Problems never exist in isolation, they are always surrounded by other problems. Whether you are a service designer or an architect, the ability to think holistically, visualise relationships, make unexpected connections, and uncover hidden opportunities are essential skills that need practicing. THIS WORKSHOP IS AN EXPERIMENT We’re not experts in systems theory and this workshop isn’t about debating the finer points of systems dynamics (as fun as that sounds). Our starting point is a recognition that cities face complex challenges, and that citizens and designers who want to create positive change need tools to help them visualise and untangle this complexity. We believe that creative solutions can be found when we start thinking about issues in a holistic and intersectional way. This workshop is an experiment in developing creative tools to help us do that.
AGENDA 9:00 am 9:05 am 9:10 am 9:15 am 9:30 am 9:45 am 11:00 am 12:15 pm 1:00 pm
Doors Welcome + Introductions Overview of workshop + systems thinking Warm up activity: How to Draw Toast Intro to field research + Team formation FIELD RESEARCH SYSTEM WEB activity WHAT IF. . . activity Goodbye! :)
“A system is a set of related components that work together in a particular environment to perform whatever functions are required to achieve the system’s objectives.” - Donella H. Meadows Open systems have input and output flows, representing exchanges of matter, energy or information with their surroundings. • • • • • •
Inputs + Outputs Flows + Exchanges Interactions Feedback loops Transformations Boundaries
Complex systems are systems whose behavior is intrinsically difficult to model due to the dependencies, relationships, or interactions between their parts, or between a given system and its environment. • • • •
Nonlinear Emergent Self-organising Adaptative
CITY SYSTEMS Cities can be described as complex open systems. A city is situated within an environment and is the site of flows, exchanges, inputs, outputs and transformations of matter energy and information between constituent parts and with its environment. Over time, these nonlinnear (random) interactions create emergent and self-organising systems and subsystems of immense complexity. The behavior of a complex system is subject to feedback loops and is almost entirely governed by the behaviors those properties produce.
TRANSIT
E
OBILIT Y +M
CULTU R
WATER
CITY SYSTEMS
GY ER
HOUS I
NG
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Energy + Water Food + Transit
T
E
FO
OD
Housing + Culture
+ WAS
Opportunity areas at the intersection of different systems
WARM UP ACTIVITY HOW TO DRAW TOAST
15 minutes
3 people
How to Draw Toast is a design exercise created by Tom Wujec that helps awaken our systems thinking and visualisation skills. Using the simple act of drawing a diagram of ‘how to make toast’ we can begin to unpack the elements that make up a system.
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Form small teams of 3 people. 2. Working alone, sketch a diagram of how to make toast (3 minutes). 3. Compare your diagram the others in your team. Discuss the commonalities and differences and identify the elements of a system. 5. Use the coloured markers to circle and annotate the various systems at play in the simple act of making toast.
FIELD RESEARCH SITE CONTEXT The context for our field research is a .75KM radius around the Arc Centre, or a 10 minute walk in any direction. Located in the Borough of Islington, this site contains a mix of different urban environments in a compact area that makes it well suited for observing the interplay of various urban conditions, systems and issues up close. Essex Road Station
se xR oa
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10 minute walk
Es
Regents Canal
w Ne rth
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a Ro
Up
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rS
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Arc Centre
N Angel Station City
Sho
red
Roa d
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nd l Lo a r t en
ISLINGTON Despite its small size, Islington is both incredibly diverse and very dense. According to the 2011 census, Islington had the highest population density of any local authority in England and Wales—13,875 people per km2. The borough is home to a multi-ethnic population from a variety of different backgrounds and faith communities, a significant proportion of disabled people, as well as one of the most concentrated Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) populations in the U.K. Although Islington is associated with gentrification, it is still home to a relatively high proportion of residents in social housing: 44% of available accommodation as opposed to an average of 39% for innerLondon and 26% for all of London.
ZOOM IN: ST. PETERS WARD The surrounding area is predominantly residential, with a historical street pattern. 2-3 storey Victorian terraces are found to the North and East within the Arlington Square and Duncan Terrace/Colebrooke Row Conservation areas. To the west is a 1970’s Council housing estate (Cluse Court) that ranges in height from 4-10 storeys. To the opposite side of the Grand Union/Regent’s Canal is a reminiscence of the industrial part of the area, with associated warehouses, now converted for residential purposes. To the North of the Site on Prebend Street is Islington Green Secondary School and small shop units. Clusters of low-rise buildings blend with neighbouring terraces.
PACKINGTON ESTATE The area has changed dramatically over the last 70 years. In the 1960s the area was in a poor state: people lived in overcrowded Victorian terraces, unhealthy and in decay. In the 1963 Islington council purchased the land, and redeveloped it as a Modernist council estate, re-housing the local tenants displaced by the clearance of the former slum on site. In 2004 a planning brief was adopted for the Packington Estate, with the intention of “regenerating” the area by demolishing the 1970s estate and redevelop it. Planning applications were subsequently submitted and approved in 2007. As you can see, parts of the redevelopment have already been delivered, whereas a part of the site remains to be completed.
FIELD RESEARCH 1+ hour
5 people minimum
The purpose of this activity is to get out into the city to investigate systems first hand. Each team has been assigned a different ‘system lens’ so that the research is focused. Teams are encouraged to take pictures, talk to people and bring back an object that tells a story. The AEIOU field research framework has been provided for guidance. INSTRUCTIONS 1. Divide into teams of 5-10 people and choose one of the six systems. 2. Discuss the system in your team to make sure everyone understands what it means. Feel free to expand the definition. 3. Create a plan of attack: will your team explore the area together or divide and conquer? Will you use the AEIOU framework or improvise? 4. Get out and explore: take lots of pictures, talk to people and bring back and object from the field that tells a story of about your system. TAKE PICTURES!
TALK TO PEOPLE!
Upload photos to one of the following Google folders: bit.ly/citysystems-food bit.ly/citysystems-mobility bit.ly/citysystems-socialcultural bit.ly/citysystems-housing bit.ly/citysystems-water bit.ly/citysystems-energy
BRING SOMETHING BACK!
A.E.I.O.U. FRAMEWORK AEIOU is a framework for guiding and structuring observational research under the themes of Activities, Environments, Interactions, Objects and Users. Developed in 1991 at Doblin by Rick Robinson, Ilya Prokopoff, John Cain, and Julie Pokorny. It can be used in-field or during analysis to code / sort / structure observational research.
Activities includes actions with specific goals in mind, and the processes performed to achieve them.
Environments details the context and characteristics of the space where activities are being observed.
Interactions includes both interpersonal and personartifact interactions.
Objects catalogues the items within the environment and how they are used.
Users includes the people within the environment that are being observed, including their values, behaviors, and
SYSTEM WEB ACTIVITY 5 people minimum
1+ hour
Building a system web is a visual and interactive way to share field research findings and discuss the relationships and connections between different urban systems. Each team gets five minutes to share highlights from their field research followed by a discussion of possible connections with other systems. INSTRUCTIONS 1
Arrange the teams in a circle around the room.
3
Team members get five minutes to present highlights and insights from their field research.
GY R E
SOCIAL +
Start anywhere: the first team to present holds the ball of string.
LTURE U C
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2
WATER
relationships
connections
4
+ MOB T I NS
TY ILI
TRA
Once the presentation is done, the ball of string is thrown to another random team.
5
The team that catches the string now gets five minutes to present their research findings AND to consider the connections and relationships between their system and the previous team.
HOUS
FOO
G IN
This discussion will be facilitated and open to everyone to contribute: there are no wrong answers.
WASTE + D 6
The activity continues: the ball of string is thrown to another group who repeats steps 3-5
WHAT IF...? DEFINING THE OPPORTUNITY SPACE The ‘opportunity space’ is the space at the intersection of two or more systems where there is potential for new ways of thinking and creative solutions. In this activity, we’re building on the relationships and connections identified in the previous systems web activity to come up with “what if...?” questions to help frame future design challenges.
ER 32,000 KM of underground water pipes in London, moving 2.6 billion litres every day.
connections
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RGY NE
WA T
relationships
Energy supply crisis and need to transition to more diverse and sustainable energy sources.
WHAT IF . . . we used the flow of water through city pipes to generate electricity?
WHAT IF . . .
Draw a system diagram to illustrate your “what if...” vision.