OURB by OURB

validating a collective design intelligent platform

ELBG1 Urban Projects, Collective Spaces and Local Identities Tonia Dalle, Dieter Michielsen, Rosaura Romero, Mara Usai 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE 1.INTRODUCTION. NEW DIGITAL WAVE 1. 1. THE FIVE CURRENTS OF THE COLLECTIVE INGENUITY 1.1.1 CO-CREATION 1.1.2 THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY 1.1.3 THE INCLUSIVE ECONOMY 1.1.4. THE ECONOMY OF SHARING 1. 2. SHIFTING MENTALITY TO A COLLECTIVE INVOLVEMENT 1.2.1 AT INDIVIDUAL LEVEL 1.2.2 AT LOCAL LEVEL 1.2.3. AT CORPORATE LEVEL 1.2.4. AT GOVERNMENTAL LEVEL 2. VIRTUAL VS PHYSICAL WORLD 2. 1. THE DIFFERENT SPACES 2.1.1 VIRTUAL SPACE AND PHYSICAL SPACE 2.1.2 THE HYBRID SPACE 2.1.3. THE CORRUPTION OF THE HYBRID SPACE 2.1.4. BENEFICIAL VIRTUAL SPACE 2.2. LEARNING FROM HISTORY 2.3. IMMERSION AND EVERSION 2.4. CONCLUSIONS. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF VIRTUAL REALITY 3. PARTICIPATION IN ONLINE COMMUNITIES 3.1. ONLINE COMMUNITIES 3.2.1. USERS 3.2. INTERACTION 3.3. CONTENT 3.4. ONLINE CASE STUDIES 3.4.1. REDDIT.COM: ONLINE COMMUNITY 4

3.4.2 NEXTDOOR: PRIVATE SOCIAL NETWORK 3.5. CONCLUSIONS 4. THE BELGIAN CONTEXT: DEVELOPING STRATEGIES THROUGH TIME 4.1. HISTORICAL CONTEXT: PRE-PLANNING LEGISLATION 4.2. HISTORICAL CONTEXT: REFORMATIONS + PLANNING LEGISLATION 4.3. BELGIAN GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE 4.4. FLEMISH STRUCTURAL PLAN 4.5 FLEMISH LAND USE PLAN 4.6. OTHER FLEMISH PLANNING TOOLS 4.7. BRUSSELS STRUCTURAL PLAN 4.8. BRUSSELS LAND USE PLAN 4.9. OBSERVATIONS 4.10. AN INNOVATIVE TOOL: NEIGHBORHOOD CONTRACTS 4.11. A CASE STUDY: GHENT, FLANDERS.BOEREN HOF. 5. FIELD EXPERIMENTS 5.1. OURB ON WHEELS 1. 5.1.1 EXERCISE 1. MAP YOUR DAILY PATH 5.1.2 EXERCISE 2. MAKE A COLLAGE OF YOUR IDEAL PLACE 5.1.3 EXERCISE 3. 30 SEC OPINION VIDEOS 5.2. OURB ON WHEELS 2. 5.2.1 EXERCISE 1. MAP YOUR DAILY PATH 5.2.2. EXERCISE 2. FLOWCHART 5.2.3 OUTCOMES 5.3. OURB ON HEELS: FULCRUM EXPERIMENT 6. CONCLUSIONS

PREFACE This book was put together by four Architecture Master students from KU Leuven, who were self motivated to investigate and understand collective methods for designing within the Urban context. Our motivation for learning about collective methods started during our studies but was fueled by the everyday observations on top down models of developments, who strategies constantly take over large city projects and many times producing out of context projects. We believe that an alternative to this traditional linear and hierarchical method of planning, is for a more inclusive method, which incorporates bottom up and top down strategies and allows for them to work together. The initial idea of our group was to not only investigate this middle ground alternative but to also integrate digital tools to aid this cooperation. We were attracted by how Collective Design Intelligence Platforms are potentials for activating novel urban design practices, and so

within this context the OURB group was born. OURBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision is to support the communication and collaboration between stakeholders of a city, by providing tools, that will bring them together to discuss information, share expertise, and create connections that will inspire a collective development of a city. Along with our vision the idea to develop the first tool was also born. We believe that the platform could be an efficient way to collect social data through a more informal transparent medium, where citizens have a place to voice their opinions, oppositions, and proposals about their city, providing planning experts with often forgotten local wisdom. Through this book we would like to show the process we went through during our research to validate our platform idea. In the first part of the book we seeked to build a theoretical background thus supporting our methodology. Our theoretical investigation begins by 6

looking into the current activities relating to collective thinking and how the new wave of digitalization is already affecting our daily life. It then moves to investigating the capabilities and limits of utilizing a virtual vs physical platform. Which lead to the investigation of online communities and what are some key factors for user engagement. Finally we concluded our theoretical part by looking into the Belgian context, learning from history and understanding the development strategist which are currently in place.

on three different sites, composed of 3 main exercises. On this second part of the book we invite you to analyze the three experiments, and observe some of the interesting findings we recorded. You will find that the context, diversity of people and feasibility of the exercise have an impact in the collected outcomes, and gave way to interesting conclusions. We wrote this book in a chronological way, where you can follow our thought process on how we arrive to where we are. We hope it shows the process of our investigation and highlights some important information we found along the way.

Once our theoretical research concluded, we decided to test out our improved methodology by conducting social experiments. At this stage we decided to turn our digital platform into a physical one. This meant that we would engage with the public to test the affordances of having a physical platform vs a digital one, at the same time testing the feasibility of some main features. We decided to conduct three different experiments 7

1. INTRODUCTION. NEW DIGITAL WAVE The paradox of our time is that we feel the need to be connected at a global scale. This connectedness brings a sense of unity, as we can all see the problems that everyone else is facing and are aware of the similar challenges that we all face. This connection has brought many initiatives with the goal to collaborate and contribute a positive change (sustainable development, respect of diversity, innovative entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship etc.) On one side this is a great achievement, but in the other hand the “unconnected peripheries” suffer from the speed of innovation, and are being left behind, with no opportunity to adapt to the fast changes brought by globalization and new technologies.

to be accompanied by political and citizen’s will to reinvent the way we cooperate, live together and build our future. Whereas technology is essential, true collaboration is cultural and behavioural: it requires ‘to care’, caring for others, caring for shared purposes. The sharing knowledge and ideas creates exchanges. The world is full of untapped intellectual resources that can now be mobilized. By coming together, it is possible to tackle the current challenges and find solutions more effectively. Our planet is currently facing tremendous economic, social and environmental challenges; but multiple initiatives are also proving solutions that exist by doing more with less. These initiatives all have one thing in common, collective ingenuity; to harvest wisdom from a large number of people that is collected from participatory and collaborative processes.

Over the past few years, the pace of change has accelerated. Even though information and communication technology can be powerful tools to build communities and enable cooperation, we will only reach the right balance when technology begins 9

1. 1. THE FIVE CURRENTS OF THE COLLECTIVE INGENUITY The wave exhibition, occurred during the CSW, gave us the chance to learn about the five currents that flow out from the collective ingenuity source; co-creation, the makers movement, the circular economy, the inclusive economy, and the economy of sharing. These currents explore the many possibilities that this new wave of thinking brings and shows the opportunities for smarter living through a connected world. The new digital wave brings us different systems that gather, combine and distribute real-time data information, made available during every moment of our daily life to have a more efficient and connected city for smart developments.

1.1.1 CO-CREATION Creating together makes it possible to find solutions that nobody can achieve alone. The world is full of great ideas, valuable information and helpful hands that can be leveraged - as long as they are open to them. Individuals and various organizations, up to the United States tend to work for themselves. All want to keep control, want the results to come back to them. Or maybe they do not think others are smart enough to really help them. In fact, many challenges facing the world today simply can not be met without the participation and cooperation of many individuals and organizations. Time is far from inventors and scientists making capital breakthroughs alone in their lab. Today, no solitary genius or any isolated company can provide answers to the complex problems of mobility, health, food, energy or the environment. Today, most important scientific projects are carried out 10

collectively: space stations, particle accelerators or climate change studies require the collaboration of thousands of people on a global scale. At much more modest levels, remarkable breakthroughs can also be achieved through the pooling of knowledge, opinions and efforts of many people. Thus the Wikipedia encyclopaedia is entirely carried out by volunteers: more than 300,000 people contributed to it by writing or editing articles. Countless help forums and online communities allow you to interview others about the best way to solve a computer problem, find a good restaurant or get advice on how to renovate your home. And to help someone who asks a question in a field where one is competent.

tweets, YouTube videos and Facebook posts are an important part of the use that most people make of the media. The readers, yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spectators have therefore become co-creators of content. Similarly, in many other sectors, companies and organizations are discovering that involving their customers or users in a co-creation process allows them to offer significantly higher-priced products at lower cost. Consumers and citizens demand customized products and services that exactly meet their expectations. Instead of asking each customer about their preferences, companies create tools to finalize their products. On their websites, it becomes possible to configure his next car, his new shoes or his future sofa before placing an order. It is obvious that the user does not manufacture the product directly - but it is much more involved in its creation. In the future, users will be able to even review the design of certain products and rearrange their functionality using 3D software before

Amateurs and professionals mix

A few years ago, the media disseminated information â&#x20AC;&#x153;one wayâ&#x20AC;?. Radio, television and newspapers were exclusively produced by professional journalists. Today, blogs, homepages, 11

printing the object on a 3D printer.

era: • Companies will recognize the value of opening up to external contributions, even if this means losing some control over the results. • Leaders will be forced to abandon top-down management because contributors to a project may be from other organizations - even clients or volunteers. Good management will consist in motivating others by his clairvoyance. • Intellectual property (IP) will need to be rethought: to encourage cocreation within an open ecosystem, IP must stop being an intellectual protection to become an intellectual partnership. • And finally, customers, consumers or citizens will understand that cocreation is an opportunity but also a requirement: the others will expect us to participate and contribute to the solutions we use.

We all become co-creators, we all participate

Co-creation changes the roles of traditional players in the economy. Until very recently, the difference between manufacturers and consumers was clear. Today, consumers become co-creators and co-managers. The primary concern of companies so far has been to supply consumers with finished products manufactured in series; Now their competitiveness will be based on the creation of platforms and ready-made tools enabling customers to participate in the creation of a personalized solution. Until now, in most sectors, from healthcare to industry to food, transportation and energy supply, companies have been doing something for you or for you. From now on, they will increasingly develop solutions with you or from you. Cocreation requires a state of mind different from that of the industrial 12

simply no longer possible to continue to transform resources into waste. In the circular economy, waste materials used for a certain period of time are not considered worthless: others will reuse them. Recycled, they turn into resources to fuel a new process.

1.1.2 THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY In a circular economy, waste from one process evolves into resources for another. Recycling and reuse are the fundamental logic of this self-sufficient system. As in nature, materials and energy are part of a flow; All components are recombined and reconfigured to infinity in a constantly changing equilibrium ratio. This is how nature proceeds and it seems to be a matter of common sense. But most of our conventional economy is not circular - it is largely linear: we extract raw materials and energy from the planet to produce objects that we consume and then discard. This one-way process is becoming more and more problematic. We live on a planet with limited dimensions and resources, on which the population is growing rapidly. We have already reached the point where the demand for energy and materials exceeds the capacity of the ecosystem to regenerate. It is

Everythingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s connected, everyone is connected

The circular approach is to develop a long-term vision, to look beyond the immediate and the local, to understand that one is part of a larger ecosystem. The circular economy is participatory and collective. We interact constantly because we are in a context where everything and everyone is connected and interdependent. Man influences other elements of the ecosystem and these affect us. We depend on all other living beings - and everything that is alive depends on us. In the coming years, the mode of consumption will become more and more circular. Rising prices, the growing shortage of raw materials, the effects of climate change and the 13

tightening of regulations make the circular approach very attractive to companies.

them. The same is true of manufacturers: there are already many examples of groups of companies that practice the exchange of materials, so that waste from one plant becomes the raw material of another. Ultimately, the design of new products could mimic nature on the basis of living beings a process called biomimicry . Nature develops astonishing processes that we can borrow: plants, insects and animals are capable of producing incredibly strong materials and highly elaborate compounds, using only simple and natural raw materials.

The technology of nature

This way of life is not necessarily unpleasant. A circular economy is neither less advanced nor less sophisticated in terms of the use of technology, and living in a circular economy is not synonymous with lack of comfort. One can have a great impact by modifying the design of products, for example, making them easier to disassemble or making sure to use materials such as bioplastics, which can be reused or composted. This view is often called model of cradle to cradle ( â&#x20AC;&#x153;cradle to cradleâ&#x20AC;?) to indicate that the end of life of a product is only the beginning of another cycle of use of materials. The economy of the framework shared well with the concepts of sustainability and circular thinking. By sharing resources such as cars and tools, consumers limit the need to buy new products by making more effective use of those available to 14

1.1.3 THE INCLUSIVE ECONOMY

company and for society). Doing business and working for the social good are not necessarily incompatible: with adapted business models, companies can reach populations efficiently and derive considerable market opportunities while meeting essential needs. Companies targeting the BoP are not charities. They develop concrete solutions that make them available at the lowest possible price. Apart from the fact that the marketing of these products or services generates the income necessary for the continuation of their activities, demanding even minimal financial participation from the poorest makes it possible to ensure that the proposed product or service responds well to an essential need.

At the base of the economic pyramid (BoP or â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bottom of the Pyramidâ&#x20AC;?), there are billions of people deprived of the benefits of progress. They do not have the means to access drinking water, electricity or training that could help them improve their situation. But even if they have very little money, the market economy has the means to help them: an offer adapted to their resources can be proposed to them - which requires companies to adopt a particular approach and Products and services they provide the BoP with a radically different look. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just about money

The inclusive economy is not just about money. It is the difficult but fruitful encounter of the market issues of the company with the concerns of reducing poverty. The ambitious goal is to build new market solutions that respond to a shared value creation strategy (for the

Frugal Innovation

In rich countries, engineers and designers typically create new features or new products to encourage consumers who already have almost everything they need to 15

constantly renew their purchases. Innovation is at the service of nonessential options and functionalities. Frugal innovation, on the other hand, consists of imagining basic solutions and proposing them to those who need them. Frugal solutions are cheaper because they offer exactly what consumers need - and nothing more. In India, this kind of innovation bears the name “Jugaad”. Basically, it means “doing with what one has”. The fact that these solutions are frugal and cheap does not mean that they can not be based on advanced technologies and be of good quality. Solar panels and lowenergy LED lighting systems can bring the benefits of electricity to the most remote areas. Today, many people who do not have the basic infrastructure or basic sanitary facilities still have a mobile phone. In this way, it is possible to provide them with information, care, or mobile banking services. Now free services can also be accessed anywhere in the world. Some of the world’s most prestigious

universities offer free online access to comprehensive courses taught by their best teachers. Through websites such as khan-academy or coursera, anyone with a computer and eager to learn can actually pursue the studies that suit him. Kalite (the khan academy lite) even allows access to these courses without internet connection. Poverty also exists in rich countries

The inclusive economy is not just for developing countries. The developed world also badly needs solidarity solutions. So, originally, microcredit was created by Grameen Bank (“village bank”) to offer small loans to women in Bangladesh. But in Europe and the United States too, microcredit is used to help the poorest start a business and escape poverty. In the future, many affordable solutions created to meet the needs of consumers in developing countries will undoubtedly prove to be of interest to the many people who live in a rich country while being too poor to integrate the economic system. 16

1.1.4. THE ECONOMY OF SHARING new websites and services allow us to share everything from high fashion dresses to childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toys, office spaces and Piano lessons. Businesses sharing economy make money by creating platforms that match needs and resources exactly. They create safe and transparent frameworks that allow users to feel confident enough to meet strangers and share resources with them. And they charge a minimal fee for each transaction. In a sense, the term â&#x20AC;&#x153;sharingâ&#x20AC;? is misleading. Most exchanges are not free. Rather, it is a trade where ordinary people (or companies) rent or sell each other objects or services.

The economy of sharing is to privilege access to goods and services rather than ownership. Quite often, resources such as cars, holiday homes or sports facilities remain unused for much of the time. If you share them, they benefit a lot more users. Similarly, many people have special skills or knowledge that others can benefit from - if those who need them, know where to find them. The economy of sharing is based on the mobilization of these unused capacities. In the near future, it was difficult to connect people interested in sharing. Today, social media makes things easier. A French family can quickly find a Canadian family willing to exchange their home for the holidays. Patients with rare diseases can identify others who suffer from the same problems and wish to share their experience, wherever they are on the planet. The sharing economy has developed very rapidly in recent years. A few startups have evolved into multi-billion dollar global groups and thousands of

The social dimension is an integral part of the transaction

Sharing differs from the conventional economy, because it reduces consumption and makes it possible to meet needs with less money. It attracts many consumers who do not wish to own more. Wealth, in the economy of sharing, lies in the access to a multitude of opportunities. 17

Sharing is a way of making more effective use of resources, and there is no doubt that those who share have good economic judgment. But they are also motivated by the social aspect of the experience: meeting other people, creating something together and feeling mutually useful. Car pooling or renting your boat for the weekend leads to meetings in a very different context from the impersonal commercial transaction that usually takes place between buyers and sellers. It is a crucial difference between the economy of sharing and the conventional economy: the social aspect is inseparable from the notion of sharing. In the conventional economy, personal contacts are usually deliberately reduced to their simplest form in order to standardize the service and guarantee a quality and conditions that are always identical. In the economy of sharing, personal contact, particular, weighs heavily in the equation. In fact, without the experience of meeting

the person with whom we share something, many of these services would probably not work because sharing is based on trust. Reputation, a new currency.

Trust is the indispensable ingredient of the economy of sharing. This is why online platforms emphasize the importance of user transparency, which translates into visible personal profiles, recommendations and evaluations by previous users. Sharing via the internet is not comparable with lending sugar to his neighbor, or borrowing his electric drill. He who rents his house must know if he can trust the person to whom he is renting it - and conversely, before getting into a carpool vehicle, the passenger wants to know if other users, He, have recommended this driver. Our online reputation will become extremely important as it will determine how much trust others will have in us. A good reputation serves as currency, and gives you access to 18

many more opportunities for sharing. And good reputations are built on the good that is provided to others.

DO IT YOURSELF

BIO HACKING

CROWDSOURCING

MAKERS MOVEMENT

OPEN SOURCE

MASS CUSTOMIZATION

CO-CREATION

USER DRIVEN INNOVATION HIBRID VALUE CHAIN

COLLEC INGENU MINDM

JUGAAD

INCLUSIVE ECONOMY

BOP

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS CONCIOUS CAPITALISM

FRUGAL INNOVATION

HANDYMAN ATTITUDE

CROWDFUNDING

COLLABORATIVE CONSUMTION SELF SERVICE

P2P

SHARING ECONOMY

B2B SHARING

CTIVE UITY MAP INDUSTRIAL SYMBIOSIS

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

CRADLE TO CRADLE

BIOMIMICS

ECO INNOVATION

1. 2. SHIFTING MENTALITY TO A COLLECTIVE INVOLVEMENT IDENTIFIED ISSUES AND LEVERS FOR IMPROVEMENT

‘Towards a common goal’ In order to give way to the 5 currents of collective ingenuity a mentality shift needs be encouraged. One of the ways this can be achieve is to take into consideration the different levels on which these changes need to be made. We must start tackling the change of different sectors and scales simultaneously, from the individual level to the governmental level. In this next section we will explore the opportunities and pivotal critical points at each sector and scale. 1.2.1 AT INDIVIDUAL LEVEL “I am the city and the city is me” Conscious citizenry and the awareness of how individuals are interconnected with each other will make a difference for future decisions and developments towards a Smarter City. One of these aspects is the 22

fact that people should realize the importance of sharing their data in exchange for personalised services offered by a Smart City, based on their demands. In other words, comfort could take precedence over privacy to some extent. We need to, in some extend, always think about sharing instead of keeping our skills and knowledge to ourselves. In one way the era of the internet is helping us to do this is by allowing us to have a more efficient way to share this information. Two ways that we can move forward and utilize this new way of sharing, is by changing the way we learn this information by embracing the informal ICT enabled education and a common international language.

Youtube, online forums, open source information, free online courses from universities and multiple other informal forms of individuals teaching others through the internet. The way people are learning differentiates from the standard way that we have been introduced to since the industrial revolution. Informal ICT enabled education introduces the idea and possibility of the educational system to be reframed. It allows for a wider open system to be seen as valuable to that of the traditional one. Common International Language:

Language skills play a paramount role in professional flexibility. Political correctness and the aspiration for cultural diversity have called for the promotion of as many languages as possible, often at par. At the same time, markets seem to function more efficiently when at least one common second language is well mastered. Although there is a certain tension between promoting multilingualism and a single international working

Informal ICT Enabled education

It is important to recognize the possibilities technology has introduced to the education of an individual. We have increased the informal education through collaborative platforms such as 23

language, a common working language would create a level-playing field for everyone, wherever they come from, especially countries where English is currently not widely or well spoken.

therefore the place where individuals begin to collaborate together. It is also the place where the preparation and the shaping of future citizens begins. . Educational sector . Supporting Entrepreneurship from young age . New teaching / learning methodologies . Resources preparation for new careers

1.2.2 AT LOCAL LEVEL Fostering interconnectivity at the neighborhood level Encouraging local initiatives to form Supporting the local institutions initiatives

In the first place, one needs to reflect on whether or not our education systems encourages collaboration and respect of diversity. Whereas passive and repetitive methods and teacher-led instruction seem to efficiently create an elite that has the intellectual capabilities to assimilate concepts, they do not always succeed in encouraging collaboration and inclusion. Social mix, active and project-based learning seem to have more positive effects in teaching youngsters the ability to cooperate, as

Fostering awareness of interconnectivity falls into the responsibility of the local level. Creating a setting and policies which encourage local initiatives to form. It is important for these local initiatives to push towards creating awareness of impact of individual acts and the building of communities. Within the centre of a community we find schools, and so we must acknowledge that the educational sector is part of the local level, and 24

we see in already some examples in the Nordic countries.

authority over empowerment. The acceptance of this type of organisations reaches its limits with the transition towards a knowledge economy: multiple levels of decisionmaking hinder communication flows and cross-disciplinary/cross functional collaboration towards achieving common objectives.

‘Classic’ or ‘Linear’ career paths As we know them in many Western countries - are often linked to the level of rigidity of our labour markets. Beyond the positive intentions, overprotective systems do not encourage flexible career paths and transition between different domains. Given that it is often the collision between creativity, sciences and professional fields which generates innovation (applying technology from one field on a problem in another), such nonlinear career paths hold tremendous societal value.

1.2.4. AT GOVERNMENTAL LEVEL Top Down initiatives supporting bottom up collectives Neighborhood Contracts

Nowadays, notables and authorities within multiple fields, e.g. politicians, priests, academics, business leaders etc. suffer from a growing disconnection or even mistrust from their communities. Alternative forms of organisations that tend to be flatter and more decentralised allow for more agility, participation and involvement. In socioeconomic terms, front-runner countries in innovation often have in common a culture

1.2.3. AT CORPORATE LEVEL Cross-disciplinary collaboration Cross-functional collaboration Smart Employers = Smart Employees

Traditionally, whether they are public or private most organisations are hierarchical and pyramidal, favouring 25

of social dialogue at local level, often enjoyed by a relatively small population (Estonia, Denmark, Israel etc.). There are currently a number of initiatives to turn the role of politics into a role of facilitator among stakeholders rather than a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;top-down authorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

of both, top- and bottom level. In Belgium for example, Brussels Neighborhood contracts acts as an alternative model to the top down approach in governmental administration. It opens a more inclusive way of allowing the different stakeholders of a city to have an input in the development of neighborhoods.

The collective involvement of citizens can only be triggered if governance organises itself similarly. Hence, it is inefficient that policies are established by interregional fragmented governmental structures. Collaboration between municipalities, regions and countries is essential for efficient governance of smart mobility measures. The establishment of a formal or informal centralised body is highly recommended to put the development of a digital city and its mobility on the agenda. So, the evolution towards a social model characterized by collective involvement depends on the mutually inclusive ability of mentality change

Brussels Neighborhood Contracts

A program created in 2010 focused on the urban revitalization of neighborhoods with infrastructural troubles, and economic difficulties, largely populated by poor immigrants. The five interrelated fields of intervention are; Housing, Public facilities, Environment, public spaces, and social cohesion. The main objectives are to identifying the territory of intervention of; strong social inequalities, high unemployment rate, poorly equipped small substandard housing, unattractive living environment 26

and weak social-ties. The planning structures work in a horizontal cooperation instead of the traditional vertical collaboration. The horizontal cooperation allows for more transparency and inclusion of other important stakeholders.

make us aware of what is happening in the world, but it must move to a more mature proactive stage. The knowledge built on the internet must not only be harvest and shared but also allow for it to develop into a global discussion and begin to tackle the problems we are currently facing; economic, social and environmental challenges. The solution is to do more with less, using the collective ingenuity to have a greater physical impact in the world around us. The WAVE exhibition from CSW showed us a snap into the development of our future and smarter living. Co-creation current showed us the ability of a more inclusive way of innovating and developing. The makers movement showed us how we can move into becoming more productive and not only consume but also create. The circular economy shows us the sustainability current, where waste from one process evolves into resources for another. Then the inclusive economy makes us see the importance of thinking

By shifting our mentality to be more community based thinking we increase the availability to find solutions to the challenges that arise and are currently troubling our society. By looking into the different scales and sectors we are able to assess these and begin changing the system simultaneously from different points. We need to start this change at the most fundamental level which is the individual and move from there until the governmental level. The attack towards the old thinking should be from all sectors; from education to corporate. Is only then that this shift has taken strengths that we will give way to collective ingenuity. The connectedness brought to us by the internet must not only work to 27

of the disadvantaged and provide a solution for everyone. Finally, the economy of sharing shows us that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t each have to re-invent the wheel for ourselves but to change from ownership to shareability. These new economic paradigms are attractive and are the motivation for many new initiatives and disruptive innovations. By joining forces and paddling together we are able to take advantage of these new wave and allow it to sweep over and build a better, smarter connected world.

2. VIRTUAL VS PHYSICAL WORLD The development of the last 40 years in information and communication technologies has extended the world as perceived to the sphere of the virtual realm. This relatively new domain includes a virtual environment and new shared boundaries across for which we are able to act, relate and exchange in an alternative way. While considering the chances for the development of our social and physical space we must consider alternative strategies that are inevitably related to these contemporary tendencies. In the belief that through new solutions, a chance to create strategies able to face issues related to modern society and its own space can be found. Architects, sociologists and every expert that has to relate with consideration on our society development must reconsider the potential of modern tools to construct their own future, and be able to control and strategize it in order to guide the development 30

toward a sustainable, equitable and democratic result. This chapter will focus on the analysis of the analogies and differences between the physical realm and the virtual one, in order to highlight the potential and the weaknesses of both and investigate smart ways of interweave them; then some attention will be dedicated to the impact of technologies into everyday social and spatial settings. The potential of modern tools will be discussed and validated, in the attempt of overcoming the negative biases still related to its evaluation. In order to validate the potential of OURB project, addressing virtual worlds, we will investigate their possibility to support participatory design strategies and their ability to facilitate knowledge production and participation.

tendencies and to test the possibility for urban informatics to practice positively across different contexts; furthermore we should ask whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the value of ubiquitous technology and what is the added value of operating immersion and eversion from the vitual worls to the physical one and viceversa, when it comes to call for participation.

Research question

The research focuses on the definition of what is relevant to look for among these contemporary 31

2. 1. THE DIFFERENT SPACES 2.1.1 VIRTUAL SPACE AND PHYSICAL SPACE

Artificial Intelligence, armed with Web 2.0, mashups and smart gadgets which open up new research areas in social science such as netnography and real-time archaeology. Citizens are related to Netizens or cybercitizens (those who inhabit the new geography of the Internet), term which commonly also implies an interest and active engagement in improving the Internet, making it an intellectual and a social resource, or its surrounding political structures, especially in regard to open access, net neutrality and free speech. The influence that these two worlds operate on each other is constantly increasing and it seems that the more these two systems communicate the less their connection is rigid but it rather becomes fluid and open for exchange; however certain features of both are strong enough to make a reflection on their clear contradictions, which bring the chance to still define a dichotomy.

The influence of the new tendencies related to technology itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relevant to understand what is the new configuration of the space in which we act. In this contexts, contemporary space emerges as a result of exchanging dynamics between the virtual and the real worlds. All technological and social trends clearly indicate that these two spheres are becoming more and more closely connected. Thus, we can make parallelisms and comparisons while observing this dichotomy of coexisting and interwoven spaces. For a while the relation between these two spaces had been considered as a relation based on reflection or even opposition. We used to make bridges between the two systems creating twin concepts that find place in one or another world: to the geography of the actual physical world we compare a neo-geography, rapidly emerging through Wikinomics, Crowdsourcing,

A spatial logic corresponds to each 32

PHYSICAL SPACE

VIRTUAL SPACE

of these types of spaces. According to Manuel Castells (2000), we can distinguish the logic of material places and locations (space of place) from the logic of intangible flows of information, communication, services and capital (space of flows). On the theoretical level, once the characteristics of these two spaces are analysed, they can be considered as strictly separated. Whereas the space of places and locations is clearly localized and associated with local history, tradition and memory, the space of flows is essentially ahistorical, location-free and continuous. The space of flows moves across every time-zone and so in some sense is not only location-free but also timeless. It is a never finished products, conceived and designed as a dynamic, flexible and sustainable entity. In the virtual worlds the rules of physics are overthrown and then limitless new potentials that won’t be possible in the physical realm are enabled.

HYBRID SPACE

2.1.2 THE HYBRID SPACE Against the placelessness and continuity of the space of the flows stands the discontinuity and multiplicity of the “Hybrid space”. The Hybrid space is a space in which the layers of the physical space are stratified with the electronic communication it contains, that host the “discontinuity” of the connectivity and considers the multiplicity of communication networks. After all, even the universal presence of a telephone connection can not be taken for granted. [1] It’s important to highlight the differences produced in hybrid spaces by the circumstances in which they are considered: who communicates with whom and in what context, which is determined differently from one environment to another, sometimes even from one day to the next. The hybrid space is a space that gives birth to many new chances and practices that weren’t possible in the past.

[1] Eric Kluitenberg. “The Network of Waves.” (2006)

Whether the physical space is strictly related to culture, history or traditions, the interesting feature of the hybrid space is that it is never exclusively local. Local networks interwove with the international networks into which they force their way. Thus, as Saskia Sassen sais, the local is newly established as a microenvironment with a worldwide reach, or to quote Eamon Maher: “the local, is the universal without walls.”

physical layers, is a highly unstable system, uneven and constantly changing. Still, as a space, it has to be designed and its feature of uncertainty and lack of definition makes the task difficult. As an environment derived by the overlapping between the physical realm and the virtual world, together with the technologies that enable this relation, the hybrid spaces can have much potential and be understood as the new type of space we are going to design for the future. In this context, it’s very important to stress the necessity to strategize the collaboration and cooperation between these two systems, in order to make a design that leads to an efficient and resilient environment, rather than to a patchwork of some technological devices installed in the space which lack of any relevant benefit.

Furthermore, the emergence of new phenomenon occurring among the social sphere reveals that the new mediums give birth even to new social morphologies: to make an example, a recently created social manifestation is the ‘flash mob’, which indicates a kind of mobile ‘justin-time-community’ in physical public space, that usually emerge from online spread communication among people. The hybrid space, created by a superimposition between virtual and 34

“Free-software geniuses in Sao Paulo’s favelas find no difficulty in downloading the results of the latest interchange between the Amsterdam Waag (the Society for Old and New Media) and the Alternative Law Forum in Bangalore, but nobody pulls his or her local roots out of the ground” [2]

2.1.3. THE CORRUPTION OF THE HYBRID SPACE

the interaction between collocated people; big devices in the public sphere can affect the people in the same way and even at a bigger scale. Then another perplexity rises from the anxiety of being permanently controlled. With the advancement of technology tools that interact with the reality are more and more hidden, in a way that everything becomes smaller and integrated in the environment, and so invisible; the environment is not even longer perceived to be a technological one and the effects of the technology cannot even be critically discussed. A technology that is inserted in every corner of our space, that allows augmented reality and that can easily facilitate our actions, tracking our movement and behaviour could be interpreted as a facilitator as well as a trap.

In this context, current discussions criticize the rise of electronic tools in public space manifesting for instance through screens, projections, and electronic tagging. Many point are brought up through this critic: First, many fears are related to the idea that the visual arrangement of the observable reality is a necessary precondition for the ability of exercise power over the reality (the panopticons structures are a proof of this). Also, the attraction that systems as screens and this type of tools raise can radically alter social relationships; medias can create sense of alienation and drenching us towards light and images fobbed to our eyes while we experience the public environment. The screens of our personal devices are already accused to bring us out of the reality to a solely individual context, in which we virtually connect among each other but we shut down [2] Eric Kluitenberg. “The Network of Waves.”, pag 4 (2006)

In order to control the Hybrid space that we are creating with the new waves and the direction that our social development is taking, we 35

should be aware that this kind of spaces, as well as the politics that are creating them, has to be smartly designed. The agency, understood as the free will, is a factor that cannot be taken out neither from the virtual nor from the physical world of from the mix between the tools. Technology has to be empowering and its spatial interaction should be perceived as an empowering tool rather than be feared. What are the best applications for it to be designed in a way that it can actually bring a sustainable, equitable and fair development rather than increasing the inequalities and issues we constantly observe in our social environment?

platform. The current strong debate about the potential of technologies and the interaction with virtual realm suffers from that kind of scepticism that easily follow the rise of new visions and means. Whenever we are scared and critical toward the new devices and platforms, we should make an effort to make a broader reflection; in the XII century the Chinese poet Yang Wanli exhorted not to read books (better take a walk or go to sleep) and, a few centuries later, Italo Calvino put the reading of newspapers among the sources of distraction: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every day I tell myself that reading newspapers is a waste of time but then ... I can not help itâ&#x20AC;?. Not all technologies are equal, but the truth is that any tool is evil but the use we make of it can be good.

2.1.4. BENEFICIAL VIRTUAL SPACE In consideration of what has been analysed until here, we believe that there is a gap in the common understanding of the potential of modern technologies and virtual

Addressing virtual platforms means to validate all the potential of those, in the belief that their features give 36

great opportunities to enable noble purposes as fostering communication, enhancing participation and create collaboration among people, aiming for a smart and resilient development of our social and spatial environment. The capabilities of overcoming the rules of physics enable a way of communicating and sharing that what wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be possible in the physical world. In this context netizens become the focus and medium itself, creating a network of information in which openness, decentralization, subjectivity and creativity can be recognized as globally agreed values.

2.2. LEARNING FROM HISTORY Analogies are constantly being drawn between virtual spaces and the concept of Utopia. Utopia comes from the combination of two Greek words “ou” from non-, and “topos” for place, so it strictly signifies a nonplace or a no-where. Indeed, virtual spaces, as previously said are in a way placeless spaces, or spaces that occupy an alternative place. However, the connection that we would like to make in this context, relates to Tomas More Utopia; in his text, published in 1516, More elaborates the description of an ideal state located in a distant island. Here, alternative notions of the state or city could have developed in a natural way free from the millenniaold chains of ancient European traditions. Later exponents of Utopian novels would borrow this idea and literature has plenty of imaginary fictions produced across the centuries. But since the 1980s when the computergenerated world of artificial reality offers the infinite facets of “islands in the net, these political or social

visionary worlds in the cosmos with extra-terrestrial ideal states became antiquated notions. Nowadays we are able to transfer this paradigm into ideal urban communities that find places in virtual reality. One of the latest and clearest examples of what we have produced in our days is the platform called second life; Second Life is an online world in which the users create virtual representations of themselves, called avatars and are able to interact with other users, places or objects. They can explore the world, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, build, create, shop and trade virtual property and services with one another. It is a platform that principally features 3D-based user-generated content. The repetition among the epochs of this practice of creating a parallel ideal reality stresses its relevance: seems that the confrontation with another system, especially if this one 38

is recognized to be ideal, enables a reflection of what can be learn and brought to the actual world. Philosophers, sociologist, Humanists and designer had always reported visionary utopic ideas in the hope that the study and the validation of their output would have reflections and reported exchange in the real world (even urban or architectural plans as Le Corbusier’s Ville could be understood as such). It’s relevant to analyse what are the chances for the two systems to communicate, interweave and exchange to make an improvement of both. The parallel worlds we create to be a reference for our modus operandi are in fact already inspired by the system we know and we physically live into, and whenever we report some new elements that we learned from the first to the second, we activate a sort of circular action of “immersion” and “eversion” from one system to the other.

2.3. IMMERSION AND EVERSION The relation between the physical world and the virtual one is strictly related to the dynamics that are established between these two spaces and the elements that the two systems exchange. In this context, two actions are recognized to be relevant to observe, that occur between the two systems: these are the “immersion”, or the inflows of the realm into the virtual, and its opposite being the “eversion”, or the outflow of the virtual into the real. Through immersive processes, different element from the physical realm can be imported in the virtual world; immersion involves the translation of a broad range of concepts, artefacts, and natural objects from the real world to the virtual one. This process requires composition and decomposition, reordering and deformation processes, it reconfigures the existing realities; in order to immersion to be practiced accepted conventions has to be challenged. Then, all the elements which have

been questioned and imported in the virtual space can get translated back into the reality through eversion. Thus, the potential of the practice of eversion is to generate a metaphor able to illustrate how virtual concepts, worlds, and processes tested in the virtual world could resonate back (or everse) into the real world. Virtual spaces help to build a socialspatial cognition, and create new opportunities to extensively redefine the existing realities and relationships between different actors (i.e. in the case of architecture discipline between clients, architects, and experts from other disciplines or, in the educational environment, the relationships between teachers and students). Practicing immersion and then eversion also means to apply the features that virtual but not physical realm possess, making them beneficial for the lasts. Virtual platform thus can facilitate the commitment with the physical environment, and bring additional 40

immersion

value to the conventional operations related to the actual environment. Virtual and Physical realm can coexist eversion having a relation that works through cyclical processes, in which real-life concepts immerse into virtual space and virtual concepts everse into real life (Pak, Newton). These cycles allow to shift from the life as-we-know to the life as-itcould-be.

2.4. CONCLUSIONS

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF VIRTUAL REALITY

The main big changes that occur between the previous idealistic (or rather unreal) scenarios imagined in the past and and the virtual platforms we currently produce is that the last are the result of a collective creation rather then an individual project. Furthermore, new virtual spaces are never still, they are systems in continuous evolution, according to the modifications that their users apply. These new platforms support bottom-up collaborative ontology building and establishing semantic relations between notions, which allows user-based interpretation of heterogeneous information. Virtual environments can foster critical thinking and innovative thinking, rediscussing also the role of experts. Virtual realms have a potential to extensively redefine the existing realities and relationships, and to facilitate collaborative knowledge construction. However, assuming the positive potential that comes from the use

and interaction with these systems, we still must highlight certain negative aspects. Certain characteristics of human commitment in the physical environment are not replaceable with the opportunities offered by the confrontation with a virtual world. There is a fundamental asymmetry between physical and the virtual spaces: while the vast majority of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inhabitants live, dwell and work in the space of places and locations, the dominant economic political, social and ultimately also cultural functions are increasingly shifting to the place of flows, where they make possible location-free ahistorical network connections, international trends, power complexes and capital movements. However only a very small part of the world population is represented in the bodies which take decisions about the organization and use of new location-free spatial connections. However increasingly the decisions made within such 42

self-contained systems, determine the living conditions in those places and locations where the vast majority of the world population attempt to survive and where their knowledge, experience and memory is localized. It becomes clear how extremely necessary it is to strategize the collaboration and cooperation between these two systems; political, social and cultural bridges need to be deliberately built between the two spatial dynamics, to avoid societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collapse into unfair duality.

3. PARTICIPATION IN ONLINE COMMUNITIES This chapter analyses how ICT-tools can be introduced in participatory urban design strategies as a tool to engage and foster participation and collaboration.

3.2. DETERMINATION OF CRITICAL FACTORS OF AN ONLINE COMMUNITY To form an online community you need users, interaction and content. By looking at different case studies of online platforms, we tried to determine the critical factors that can foster online participation.

3.1. ONLINE COMMUNITIES An online community is usually created around a specific topic or a particular purpose. Those involved come together to gather information, advice, support, recognition, answers, to share information, experience, knowledge and to network. However, unlike social media; where the collaboration with the audience (users) remains unilateral. Users of online communities stop being spectators and start acting as participants. The strength of these platforms lies in the engagement of its users. Users are not longer just part of a silent audience, they become active contributors. Meaning they contribute knowledge and information to the platform.

3.2.1. USERS The level of participation of the users is based on two critical factors; Trust and Controle. The more trust users place in online networks, the more likely they are to actively participate. The more control the users perceive over their profile activities, the more likely they are to engage with a wider variety of networks. higher level of trust = higher level of participation higher level of control = higher level of participation

Examining user behaviour along the axes of trust and control, reveal that consumers fall into six primary 44

Anonymity

user personas. The first three, are the personas with the highest participation level. With ‘Sparks’ being the most engaged, they use online communities as a mean of self-expression. We can conclude the same for ‘Mix-n-Minglers’ and ‘Cliquers’, they’re very active in online platforms, most of their activity includes sharing pictures, status, updates, comments, vote, ect. However the biggest group (72%) have a passive participation attitude. Onlookers and newcomers; have a high interest in what is going on in the online community but don’t feel the need of participating in them. ‘No shows’, the largest group (41%, +65), haven’t logged in on an online platform for the last 30 days. Notice how the participation level in the largest group is non existing.

Anonymity allows users to feel a sense of security and privacy. Moreover anonymity allows all members to participate equally, since the physical interaction is missing, discrimination is harder to form and all users are able to voice their opinion equally. Anonymity grants people the ability of speaking their mind, leading to better discussions and better content. However anonymity can translate into de-individualisation, turning into poor, false or malicious content. With de-individualisation there is also the danger of group behaviour, called ‘bystanders apathy’. When opting for anonymous profiles, the platform needs to set rules on how users should behave. By making them sign an agreement, anyone who violates the rules can be banned from the platform, in this way we can prevent false or malicious content.

USER STATUS/PROFILE

The user status is one of the most influential factor that determine how users interact on online platforms. 45

Identification

The private nature of verification inhabits mutual trust between the users of a platform. The more users trusts in their peers and in the platform, the higher their engagement level will be. However, identification could inhibit free expression. 3.2. INTERACTION Engagement of users is based on three critical factors trust, control, and motivation. Motivation is a way to engage the users of a platform, but can only be effective when the level of control and trust in the platform is high enough. Gamification has shown to be a great tool to increase the level of motivation. Because of the following reasons; it motivates us, playing triggers positive emotions, and the achievement of something makes us feel better.

creativity boosted, social relationships established, etc. Those activities that are properly gamificated, derives into a greater participation level. The most successful kinds of gamification are simple, they are about one kind of action leading towards one kind of outcome. Validation, completion and prizes are the most common on online social media. Validation is one of the strongest drivers in long-term engagement. They are generated by the quality of what users create, share on their profile or on the platform. They are rewarded by other users in the form of upvotes, likes, retweets and followers counts. Completion guides the members of an online community through the platform and gets them to make useful contribution that improve the services of the platform and those people involved. The progress bar of LinkedIn is an example how completion as gamified element can work. The last important one is prizes

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main objective is to make it more appealing and motivating to use. By playing we learn to develop strategies, specific knowledge according to contents and by playfulness, moreover, anxiety is reduced, 46

were users get rewarded by a price after finishing a task. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;like and winâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; actions on facebook, or get a free beer when upvoting a certain pub. However when opting for prizes as a way to gamify, the more involved the users become, the tougher it is to maintain their interest. Gamification drives results, Participants of gamified platforms open emails 86% more often than users of non gamified platforms. As well as increasement of the average amount of time spent on the platform. Also in business services, the number of sales increases when the site is gamified. 3.3. CONTENT The last important component of an online community is the content of it. The content is provided by the users through crowdsouring. Crowdsourcing is the perfect tool to accumulate feedback by multiple interactions of other users. And in this way, to create multiple trust between the users. 47

3.4. ONLINE CASE STUDIES

3.4.1. REDDIT.COM: ONLINE COMMUNITY

Reddit, an online community, is a case study showing how anonymity of an online community generates a high level of participation using gamification as a tool to motivate its users. However, casestudies Nextdoor and Blablacar, show how identification of its users is key to create trust on the online platform. The more trust users have in the online platform they are using, the more likely they are to participate. Both casestudies tackle the trust issue, but their approach it different. Nextdoor, uses very strict verification methodes to entre the platform, when they are not fulfilled, acces to enter the platform is denied. By using this method, they create a private network that assures members privacy, (control) about their profile, and inhabits trust. The approach of blablacar towards verification is tackled in a different way, by using crowdsourcing as a tool to gain trust.

Reddit, presents itself as a perfect case study, with its 234 million users and with an average of 25 million daily votes, Reddit is one of the most active and influential websites on global scale, due to its communitybased character and the devotion of its users, who are known as Redditors. Remarkable about this platform is that all the content is provided by its users. Who are characterised only by an user name and the content that they are willing to provide about themselves. Striking is that no requirement to incorporate any personal information is mandatory to enter and participate on the platform. The online community of reddit consists only out of anonymous users. The anonymity of the user accounts, allows them to create a sense of security and privacy. (trust and control) Anonymity in this case grants the users to speak their mind. A little disinhibition can be a source 50

of escape and relief, however too much disinhibition can be destructive. Reddit has developed a set of play rules to prevent that the disinhibition turns into poor, false or derogatory material. This list of rules explains the wishes, aims, and guidelines of the forum. When rules are persistently broken by one of its users, they get a permanent ban from the platform. The average online activity of the platform is estimated around 25million votes, making Reddit one of the most active online communities. Reddit uses gamification as a tool to motivate its users and is gamified as followed: Users collect karma by posting content, which other users up- or down-vote, and occasionally they unlock trophy badges. The points do not lead to a prize as they are meant to stand in as a badge of honour for the users amongst their peers. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Reddit goldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a trophy badge that users can recieve as gift a comment or a post. This process is known as gilding.

3.4.2 NEXTDOOR PRIVATE SOCIAL NETWORK Nextdoor functions as a network for neighbours to connect with one another. The community works as a communication tool, that targets a range of different topics: form asking for local service provider recommendations, to find a lost pet, borrowing materials, to get urgent about crime and safety, to discovering local events... . The topics in each neighbourhood website variety based on what is important for the residents of that particular neighbourhood. What makes Nextdoor especially unique are its verification requirements (all members must verify that they live at that address) and its partnership with police and city agencies to help deliver important crime and safety messages. A private community: Verification methodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s: Different from other online communities such as Facebook, 51

methodes:

the platform makes you verify your physical address. If people try to use anonymous names, they eventually get flagged. You are obliged to use your first and last name, before accessing you have to verify that you live in the neighbourhood. If you don’t want your street address to be shown, you should at least show the street name. The user who makes a neighbourhood network, becomes the head organizer of the network. This includes setting boundaries, removing inappropriate messages, and describing your neighbourhood. Neighbours can be invited via email or by a postcard from Nextdoor. the private nature of next-door assures that random users won’t be browsing the network. Only users can see detailed information about the people in their own neighbourhood and can opt whether or not to display an exact address or just the name of the street where they live. How do they verify each persona’s address? by using one of the four

1. credit- or debit-card number 2. landline phone number 3. mobile phone number 4. by mailing a postcard that

includes an invitation code. (neighbourhood lead can send free postcards) postcard with an unique code. 3.5. CONCLUSIONS we defined critical parameters which can be implemented on online platforms with the aim to increase the participation level of the users. These critical factors; trust, control, motivation, have shown to have a clear effect on the participation ratio. In order to gain a higher participation ratio, it is crucial we find a way to establish trust and controle. These two critical factors are depending on the profile of the members. Anonymity of Users creates a sense of control about their own profile, members can share as much or as little about themselves as they prefer to. The more control consumers 52

perceive over their profile activity, the more likely they are to engage. Anonymity also grants members the power to speak their mind. However a set of ‘play’ rules describing ‘the behaviour’ on the platform is needed in order to prevent poor, false or derogatory content. The private nature of identification inhabits Trust. The more trust consumers place in social media networks, the more likely they are to actively participate. When trust and control are established, motivation is used to increasing the participation level of the members. Gamifying the activities on the platform, leads to active participation. Validation is one of the strongest drivers in long-term engagement.

visual representation of Reddit features

4. THE BELGIAN CONTEXT

DEVELOPING STRATEGIES THROUGH TIME Within this following chapter we go deeper into the planning system of Belgium. To get a better understanding of how a “City building network” can be implemented in a planning system, the origins as well as the current situation is important to know and learn about. Belgium has a long history however when it comes to the planning system and its participation it’s only just over 50 years old. The history is starting from the war period which laid the basis of the current system as we know it. Where the government first made legislations to protect citizens after the wars, those legislations turned into land protection legislation during the 60’s. The Belgian governmental structure also changed which had implications for the planning system as well. The participatory level grew during the 70’s from level 1-2 towards a level 3-4 considering the ladder of participation according to Arnstein (Arnstein,1969). In the current time frame with technology all around us, it must be acknowledged that

also this is having its implications to the planning system. In the future, this study allows for researcher better understand the participatory processes and in which way this could be improved and used.

4.1. HISTORICAL CONTEXT: PRE-PLANNING LEGISLATION

Belgium is a country founded in 1830 as a parliamentary monarchy. This means that the king wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only leader to govern. Democracy was instated in the form of a government elected by the people. The purpose of Belgium back then was to act as neutral country during high tense times. This was because of Belgians geographical position between France and Germany and the UK. The port of Antwerp and Ghent were highly used and therefor engines of Europe. The neutral status of Belgium was under pressure during WWI and WWII. The country suffered big losses, economy was destroyed and there was a big amount of material damage in the urban fabrics. In the post WWI period many houses needed to be rebuild. The government realised that the built houses werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always safe and that professional help was necessary in order to safekeep the citizens from poorly built housing. This led to a law in 1939 stating that every house must be built according to designs of a professional architect.

This meant that the profession became protected and also that safety of new housing is guaranteed. At the same time, WWII broke out which led again devastation and demolished housing. When the war was over, federal government instated a new legislation in 1946 to obligate municipalities which suffered most damage done by the war, to draw up destination plans. This was necessary to regulate the scarce spaces and to control the systematic reconstructions of the post war projects. In 1948 a new bonus system was introduced. The government helped their citizens by planning projects of their own and let citizens buy those houses or to let them build one themselves with governmental funds up to 15% of the amount of the total cost, including the land price. Later in 1949 a National Housing Fund was set up. The goal of this funds was to enforce large-scale social housing projects.

These policies were necessary and important. They had a strong influence on sub-urbanisation at the periphery of the cities, this because of low land prices. In cities these areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are now considered as the 20th century belt. These are the expansion areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing outside of the city because historical city was considered dense and full.

4.2. HISTORICAL CONTEXT:

REFORMATIONS + PLANNING LEGISLATION

In 1962 a brand new planning legislation was put into act. It’s derived from the 1946 law that stated that all war-damaged cities had to draw up a land-use plan to coördinate their reconstructions. Until this new legislation, most of the municipal dossiers were treated one by one without the possibility of placing them in a broader framewerk, the government stated that a national planning tool to regulate the scarce spaces in Belgium has to be implemented. The 1962 Spatial Planning Act gave the government the legal instruments for the physical planning of the whole territory. In that time the Belgian economy was boosting which pressured the planning system. Different sectors started to form like housing, road infrastructure, railways and harbour activities. These sectors started to influence spatial organisation of Belgian society strongly. The 1962 act was covering a nationwide planning legislation. The original act contained three

general planning tools; a National plan, streekplannen/ plans régionaux and Gewestplannen/plans de secteur. A National plan was never instated because of constitutional reform in the 1980’s. Belgium went through several constitutional reforms during the 1970’s. This already can be considered starting in 1962. On 30 october of 1962 a legislation was approved that created the linguistic borders that defined four language regions. • Vlaams (Flemish) • Frans (French) • Bilingual (Flemish/French) • Duits (German) The next step in the constitutional restructuring happened in 1970 which is a pre-state reformation moment. Prime Minister Gaston Eyskens passed through a legislation that created the first communities. There was a need to make certain decisions easier and more efficient on cultural level. To make this happen the 60

cultural communities were created temporarily until 1977.

spatial planning became a regional responsibility. Because of this the initially stated National plan never was created. Each region now got the freedom to adapt their spatial planning policies how they see fit.

In 1977 there was an attempt to transform the Belgian governmental institute from an Unitarian state into a Federal state. This failed because of protests by flemish parties that toppled the government. The goal was to create a federal state with regional governments and to abolish the provinces and change them to more logical sub-regions. The sub-regions were already taken into the spatial planning law in 1962 in the section of Gewestplannen/plans de secteur.

The governmental reformations kept on going where more authorities got transformed from the federal institute to the regions. The last reformation happened in 2011-2012 where after 30 years of fighting they split the infamous B-H-V region. Up to 1961 Belgium consisted of 2663 municipalities. Since 1961 a new legislation came into effect that municipalities could merge. Especially since the act of 1975, systematically municipalities were getting reformed. Currently there are 589 municipalities; 308 in the flemish region, 262 in Walloon region and 19 in Brussels capital region.

The next step happened in 1980, the language communities got transformed in the culture communities. Next to that the regions were created and the Brussels capital region, that already existed from the 1970 reform, got acknowledged. Belgian became now a Unionistic Federal State with regions. This had direct influence on the planning act from 1962. The department of 61

1830

Belgian got founded as a Parliamentary Monarchy

1914

WW I

1918

Law architects professional protection

1939

1940

WW II

1945

War damaged cities need to draft up a destination plan

1946

Bonus system house building support

1948

National Housing Fund

1946

1962

Creation of Linguistic borders + First nation wide planning legislations

linguistic communities were temporarily created dealing with cultural policies

1970

Failed attempt to change Belgium into a federal state

1977

Belgian became unionistic federal state + regions were created and linguistiscal communities were ractified + Ministrial department of Urban development was transferred to the regions

1980

3th State reformation

1989

4th State reformation

1993

5th State reformation

20012003 20112012

6th State reformation

4.3. BELGIAN GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE Federal level

Community level

On this level the government has authority about issues that still has to stay national to prevent conflicts of interest. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for the best interest that these also would stay national. The main authorities are Justice, Defence, Economy, Migration, Social security, Health. The federal level does not have power over spatial planning systems.

The communities mostly have power related to cultural matters; libraries, education, sports ; personalised matters; and the use of languages. The communities have no authority on spatial planning systems. Provinces

Provinces are a bit ambiguous. They are responsible on one hand for all matters of provincial interest. However the provincial interest is not defined. The authority on this level is getting smaller because of the fusions between the different municipalities. The provincial level didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change with those changes of the municipalities and the constitutional reforms. The importance on this level of the provinces declines and the idea in the future is to abolish this level. Next to that, provinces have an authority for spatial planning and mobility for example. The working way of this differ a bit from region to region. Brussels capital region however does not have provinces.

Regional level

The regional authorities are more rational and material. The regions act on economics, spatial planning, environment, rural development and nature conservation, housing, water policy, energy.

belgian government structure

Municipality:

The municipality level has responsibilities that are matters of ‘municipal interest’. They can’t interfere with higher authority infrastructure (e.g. gewestwegen). However they are allowed to create parks. The municipal level is the first level where citizens come together with the planning system by applying for building permits. It’s the municipal government that analyses the building plans to approve or reject. The approval mostly depend on regulations that are set from higher level. However municipalities are allowed to create own building regulations to protect streetviews for example. However when it comes to protected monuments, it are community or regional level authorities that gives advice on the project. In Brussels capital region there are no provinces which means that there is a direct link from regional level to municipal level.

1830 Government Provinces Municipalities 1970 Government Dutch

French+Dutch

French

German

Provinces Municipalities 1980 Government Flemish region

Brussels capital region

Flemish community

Bilingual community

Walloon Region French community

Provinces Municipalities

German community

4.4. FLEMISH STRUCTURAL PLAN regional level

provincial level

The structure plan is a long term plan that forms an important fundament for the urban planning policies. It can be considered more as a vision then a real plan. The vision of this plan is to maintain what is left of green and open spaces in broad perspective. The plan defines the ecological network of nature to preserve, the agrarian structure of farmlands, the hierarchy of building infrastructure, economical activities, portals like harbour and airports and the transportation infrastructure. “Structure planning is characterised as an integrated, continuous, cyclic, participation-oriëntated and action oriëntated planning process.” ... “However citizens can only file objections or suggestions after the first draft has been adopted and do not participate in the initial design of the plans.” (Commission, 2000). When you compare this with the ladder of participation by Arnstein we can consider this being on level 3 and 4 (Informing and consulting) (Arnstein 1969).

This structure plan is considered for the level of the provinces. municipality level

This structure plan is considered for municipalities. Their focus is what happens in the municipality on the same subjects as the RSV. 4.5 FLEMISH LAND USE PLAN regional level

This plan is a land-use plan. It defines which ‘Stedenbouwkundige voorschriften’ are installed on a plot or an area. These rules define how you can build, where you can build, what you can build. This plan is the general plan for the whole region. It states the basic rules for urban planning and building. The provinces and the municipalities have the free will to adapt these rules as long it doesn’t inflict the general regional land-use plan. These were the 66

APA’s and BPA’s but are now getting replaced by RUP’s on every planning level.

they are getting replaced by GRUP’s. This new form should happen when a part needs to change of function in the regional land use plan. For example in Antwerp a RUP is currently running to change the industrial character to a residential character for one specific plot. This like any other RUP, this has to go through a public inquiery.

provincial level

As with structural plans, the province can also decide on land use plans. In the past these were APA’s considering sub regions, larger then a city though smaller then province, work together and form land use plans concerning activities that should happen there and which shouldn’t. These are currently being changed by PRUP’s if necessary. This usually happens whenever a bigger change needs to be done. The PRUP’s will always get a consultation round from general public through a public inquery.

APA : Algemeen plan van Aanleg BPA: Bijzonder plan van Aanleg RUP: Ruimtelijk Uitvoeringsplan RSV: Ruimtelijk structuurplan Vlaanderen

municipality level

Municipalities can also make up landuse plans. The plans are considered only for the municipality or part of it at least. These plans in the past were BPA’s which were more detailed forms of the regional Land-Use plan. However now 67

4.5. OTHER FLEMISH PLANNING TOOLS disowning plan

regulations on needs that they are dealing with. Each municipality also has their regulations.

Flanders also has Rooilijnplannen and Onteigeningsplannen. Respectively these are plans that set the borders between public and private domains and whenever plots have to become disowned for projects to happen, this plan as to be created. VCRO

The VCRO is the ruling book with all regulations regarding urban developments. Every new development has to be conform with these regulations. Each Municipality can add building regulations however the it should not conflict with the VCRO. Stedenbouwkundige verordeningen

Each governmental level in Flanders have Stedenbouwkundige verordeningen that apply to their territory. For the whole flemish region for example there are specific regulation for accessibility or rainwater. Depending on which province, has each province their own 68

4.6. BRUSSELS STRUCTURAL PLAN GewOP

train traffic to define a more detailed vision for a neighborhood.

The GewOP is a strategic plan or a vision that sets out the goals and priorities for developments of the region. The first of it’s kind was approved in 1995 that served as a reference plan for the region. The focus for Brussels Capital region include housing and social policies for preserving a mixed population and social balance. Next to that Brussels has to take into account the mix with economical activities and its environmental and mobility problems. Brussels is a key player in Europe and therefore attractive to a mixture of residents from all classes. The capital region is mostly urban landscape. They don’t deal with the same focus as Flanders where there is more rural landscape to take care of.

In 2009 the Brussels capital region decided to change completely the GewOP to add sustainability. This is because there has been a big shift of focus. There is an increase of demography and with that a focus grew for education and employment. The creation of this plan of one of long term working. GemOp

These are plans that are focused on a municipality territory. While the GewOP is a vision for the whole region, the GemOP are developed by and for the municipality. They are not binding plans but have to follow the oriëntation of the GewOP and GBP. Currently there are seven out of 19 municipalities which have a GemOP. Asides that, five municipalities are currently working out a GemOP with a MER (Milieueffectenrapport).

In 2002 a first actualisation of the GewOP happened. In this renewal they added “Hefboomgebieden” by using Richtschema’s. These are published analysis about a neighbourhood. For example it maps out the increase of 69

4.7. BRUSSELS LAND USE PLAN GBP

which regulations are in place. These plans are binding as long as they are not contradicting with the GBP, which is the highest plan level. In 2013 there were around 442 BBPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in state.

The GBP was approved in 2001 by the regional government. Since then it was adjusted twice and multiple erreta were added. This plan is the highest binding document in the hierarchy of binding plans. These plans are graphical representations of the legal rules for building and more specific about landuse. The first adjustment to the GBP was to implement the Diabolo train project in 2010. In 2013 was the second adaptation to impliment answers for the demographic challenges Brussels is facing and going to face. The errata are corrections made to the plan. After its first publication there was an appeal with Raad van State. In 2010 the government approved a corrected plan for the parcels for which the Raad van State gave negative advise to in the first land use plan.

OTHER BRUSSELS PLANNING TOOLS BWRO

The BWRO is the ruling book with all regulations regarding urban developments. Every new development has to be conform with these regulations. Stedenbouwkundige verordeningen

For Stedenbouwkundig verordeningen the purpose is the same on regional and municipality level. It contains regulations on how the atmosphere and character of an area or building should be and also defines the rules of developing the public space. The regional level is superior than municipal level but they both have these Stedenbouwkundige verordeningen. Exceptions are possible however need

BBP

The BBPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are more detailed plans of the GBP. This type of plan are being drawn up by the municipalities themselves. They give clearer indication per area 70

to subjected to a public inquiry and advise of a commision.

going to face in the coming 20 years: Housing, employment and economy, mobility and the welfare. In 2013 the region took note of the end report and the principle of development. The development of this instrument is specific about the Canal Zone. The process of this is by developing a masterplan. For this development a group was appointed to create a Richtschema. This group is appointed in 2012 by the region to Groupement Alexandre Chemetoff & Associés.

Richtschema’s + Kanaalplan

The Richtschema’s are an extra instrument to the regional frameworks in Brussels. They don’t have regulating power and doesn’t replace instruments as BBP’s or GBP’s. This instrument declares big tendencies for developments of strategic area’s on regional level. After approval of the regional government these Richtschema’s are a part of the execution decrees. It’s a vision that states the important big lines of future developments. In 2004 the regional government started developing these Richtschema’s and has six approved definitively. One of them, about Kruidtuin used a participatory process with all stakeholders of the area for the development of this Richtschema.

GewOP: Gewestelijk ontwikkelingsplan GemOP: Gemeentelijk ontwikkelingsplan GBP: Gewestelijk Bestemmingsplan BBP: Bijzondere Bestemmingsplan

The Kanaalplan is a strategic study similar to LaboXX in Antwerp. The region set out the task to give strategic answers for challenges that Brussels i 71

4.8. OBSERVATIONS On a smaller level is brussels implementing neighbourhood contracts. This is based on several action points with the goal to revitalise and renew neighbourhoods in Brussels. It’s created in 2010 and each year new contracts are being made. It works through a commision including citizens, municipality and regional representatives.

gewestplannen to where there are bus stops. However it doesn’t mean it’s understandable for everyone to be used. In Brussels this kind of platform is called irisnet. There is no option to participate except to get informed. For learning more about the neighbourhood contracts in Brussels, the municipality provided an online map platform which is showing the area’s there are contracts implemented or in process of starting up. When you click on a colour/area, a small window pops up which shows about what it’s about and the budget. The building codes are also able to be found online on the websites of the regions (or municipalities depending on the level of information you need).

In a digital age where also governments are trying to digitalise as much as possible all this information can be found online. Some platforms are better than others for this and not all information is understandable for each stakeholder. For informing people to whom this information concerns the existing platforms are getting easy to access. It’s open to public mostly for example in Flanders there is Geopunt that everyone can try and use. It’s a specific GIS interface which allows you to put layer upon layer of information going from

This chapter was mainly dry information about the legal processes that exist in Flanders and Brussels capital region. Practically all of these tools are top down features. When you would look to the level in the participation ladder you can consider these tools are at level 3 mostly 72

and sometimes level 4 comes into place. Level 4 is consultation which sometimes happen when a public inquiry is necessary for a permit or approval of a RUP or any planning tool that requires this. During this period of public inquiry itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never certain that officials listen to it, depending on the argumentation.

development of the new coming planning tools in this digital era?

These past years it has been experienced that certain projects in Belgium got stopped thanks to the public inquiry. For this citizens are grateful something like a public inquiry exists. In retrospect it can be acknowledged that the abolishment of these projects might have been prevented by including some level of co-creation from the beginning. Why canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the development of a RUP not include some consultation in the predesign phase? An assumption might be that it would cost money and to much of organisation to reach the citizens or other stakeholders. So how can this kind of participation be supported to help with the

The plans on regional level are with great complexities. These are available for everyone to see online. Structural plans are set legally and change by political will. Politicians follow their programs of the party that were chosen by election. The real relation with all stakeholders are missing. Currently new structural plans are being developed in Flanders and Brussels that takes many years of research. Within this research consults with the different stakeholders could help by making correct choices and to know what is living keeping in mind the future challenges. In Flanders currently the development is tending towards a

What would the consequences be if there is a platform that would include all stakeholders to communicate and discuss with each other from the beginning of a planning process and to which level can it be useful?

‘Betonstop’ which would state that no untouched grounds should be built upon. This vision is coming from a mentality of sustainability these days that is generically living. When it comes to practice, would this be accepted? How would politicians know? If people would comment on social media it can’t be taken serious or can’t be counted upon, it’s chaotic. They will see result of these decisions when there are election but then it’s already too late perhaps.

the RUP adjusted. The application first goes through administration of several month with two months of public inquiry. Every time a RUP gets rejected because of the public inquiry this process has to be restarted after new research and adaptation of the RUP. This means a lot of time and money is getting lost because a large group wasn’t properly informed or consulted. If officials who are researching the RUP from the beginning would include consultations, it would prevent of more rejections from the other stakeholders.

Land-use plans on regional level won’t have an effect anymore. This concept has constant improvements by the developments currently of RUP’s. These are created by city officials and will be having public inquiries before implementation. This is the maximum level of participation. The process of this that after applying for implementation there is a 60 day period of public inquiry. In that moment all stakeholders can write argumented protests to prevent the project from happening or to have

When we go and look at the lowest levels where we have citizens applying for building permits with architects. From experience even architects are never certain if the application is correct and will be accepted. There are many regulations set in the VCRO or BWRO and people who plan a project don’t know them enough. Also it can be assumed that not every person can read maps 74

well enough so even though that they are available for checking out, there is no option to interact so this could be improved for having a better informative communication.

or projects be represented on a map with a tagging system or would it be more like a facebook or reddit interface? Are there other options?

Often while a project has applied for a permit, there is required to do a public inquiry, similar to RUP but then only for 30 days period. A lot of projects get rejected at those points as well and same process has to be done again before a new application can be done again. This means a lot of investor are losing money and architects are losing time as well. The atmosphere with the neighborhood also is starting on the wrong foot because of a not approved project. In these planning tools and frameworks there are many possibilities that projects get dismissed, delayed, losing money. Can this be prevented by a platform that bring all stakeholders from the beginning together and how can it be structured? Would all decisions 75

MISSION COM C N COMMUNE

CITIZEN NETWORK LOCAL BRUSSELS MISSION LOCAL AGENT

CPAS REGION

ASSOSIATIONS, EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC FIELDS DELEGATES

COCOF VGC RESIDENTS

4.9. AN INNOVATIVE TOOL: NEIGHBORHOOD CONTRACTS Public-private partnerships (PPP tools) initiated as top down practices but being closely developed with the local residents and community has proven to be a successful approach in the contemporary urban realities, integrating the precise global knowledge of the authorities/ specialists with the local experience and ideas of the community. They provide the connection between the framework- the strong vision of the future, and the population that will build and experience it. In Brussels such initiatives are the Neighborhood Contracts which are the result of an agreement between the region and the municipalities, for which organization spatial and economic measures are reflected. In terms of participation, NCs represent an important challenge but also valued the benefits for integrating the citizens in the early stages of the process. Brussels’ Neighborhood Contracts are an instrument for urban renewal created in 1993, through which

the Brussels Capital Region aims to revitalize its most deprived neighborhoods. Designed and allocated by the region, they are locally applied at municipal level. The project combines the renovation of residential quarters, in order to re-attract tax payers, together with socio-spatial policies directed at the most vulnerable citizens. This combination between spatial and socio economic measures is reflected in the organization of the NCs and their 5 thematic groups (volets) focused on residential, public and social needs and spaces. It signifies an important step: citizen’s consultations are part of the official planning process. NCs involve the residents in the creation of their city, “setting a new precedent for Brussel’s participatory planning, through combining practice with the imagination of alternative futures.”1 Nearly 500 Neighbourhood Contracts have been issued since 1993, half of which completed with more than 1800 dwellings, renovated a large 76

number of public spaces and more than a hundred infrastructures and local facilities opened. The regional and municipal investment is not enough to tackle the sociological and planning complexities of a neighbourhood. The role of participation was established already in 1993 by Article 5 that care should be taken â&#x20AC;&#x153;to take more account of the needs of local residents, both through their presence in the local development committee and their involvement from the start of quadrennial program development.â&#x20AC;? 2 The dynamics of consultation are a very important stage of the process, but to be critically analysed: they often encourage the emergence of opinions of certain groups or residents which not necessarily represent the full palette of cultural/social categories in the neighbourhood. Important factor is that at a certain level of the discussion educational and language skills become essential tools. 77

Furthermore, owner-occupiers and tenants take very different points of view. The community cannot be reduced to a single category, whether social or behavioural. However, in this direct confrontations problems and issues can be very directly addressed. One of the aims of the Neighbourhood Contracts is to strengthen belonging and roots. The socio-economic stand plays a large part in this. Building up a stock of public housing is an issue but it is also a matter of providing a framework for community life through the work of local associations by establishing and recognizing their work and by providing manageable infrastructure on an appropriate scale. Participation and engagement are the factors on which neighbourhood contracts are built. The neighbourhood needs to be modelled using its own strengths and with the support of public resources, the message should be the community should take responsibility. NCs are forced to adapt their approach in the

light of the local conditions. Foucault describes participation as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Practical rationality governed by a conscious goal.â&#x20AC;? Consequently, the democratic dimension of participation depends on how participation is practiced in specific circumstances and with the tactical inclusion of the particular actors: Brussels urban realm, its citizens and the governmental approach in every particular situation. In line with this consideration, we believe that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relevant to study and analyse what are the strategies carried on at the moment in which the different stakeholders (especially citizens) are invited to participate. As previously stated the main issues related to this phase and to the citizen participation engagement are: 1) NC could encourage the emergence of opinions of certain groups or residents which not necessarily represent the full palette of cultural/social categories in the neighbourhood. An attention for a greater engagement has to be pursued.

[1] Doucet, The Practice Turn in Architecture,142 [2] Cohen, Maurizio, Brussels on our doorstep, 36

neighborhood contract decisional process

A CASE STUDY: GHENT, FLANDERS BOEREN HOF. Boerenhof is an inner courtyard located in Ghent between the streets of Schommel, Kwakkel, Pannen and Victor Fris. The city of Ghent purchased this land and aimed to develop the site as a parking lot. Residents of the surrounding houses disagreed with this plan and united in a group called “‘t Boerenhof”. Through various temporary interventions the group convinced the City of Ghent to use the entire area as a green area, partly shared with the neighbourhood. Also inhabitants of the surrounding streets can own and self-organise a piece of garden.

Rabot’ to communicate the ideas, the philosophy and progress of the project. They used the website to gain citizens interest and to motivate them to participate. Category snapshot, is a section of the website where people brainstorm, they sketch their ideas about reworking that area. They post inspiration, pictures of evolution. By doing this the residents got a clear idea of what was happening and how they could contribute by going to the workshops. The snapshots however were posted by the same person ‘le petit architecte’, inhabitants were obliged to go to the workshop to share their ideas.

Boerenhof is an example of using online platforms as a tool in organising the urban development, online platforms are rather used as communication tools than a way to design.

first of April in 2014, after the project was finished, they wanted to create an online platform for the boerenhof, and used as medium Facebook. Because the mailing was getting to complicated, several themes that were discussed got mixed up, which created a lot of miscommunication. This showed that email wasn’t the best way. Facebook provided their

This community started with redesigning this specific area, creating a public garden and maintaining it. They used the website ‘within 80

solution, because it’s easier to filter the topics based on personal interest and it has a lower barrier to interact.

These ideas get positive reactions, although until now they did not cause immediate actions. Another important aspect are the members of ‘boerenhof’, who are directly involved neighbours. Because of this people are no longer just part of the audience, but they are active contributors.

establishing participation The website within rabot, motivates the people to participate in the organised workshops to brainstorm about their ideas. The motivation is driven by completion, the blog guides the users through the whole process, and get its users (neighbours) to make useful contributions to improve their project. Their first task were temporary interventions followed by getting a temporary licence.

Ghent, Flanders The site. A website: rabotsite.be works tightly together with the ‘buurttuin Witte Kaproenenplein’

The website communicates the agenda of the day of labour, through a ‘one to all communication’ method. The Focus of this participation project is to enhance green projects in Ghent. The platform gives the residents the opportunity to indicate what changes they would like to see in their environment, and to get them involved in the maintenance and protection of their own environment. The temporary interventions, activities

The Facebook page: boerenhof, establishes participation through prizes in the form of Torekes. The Facebook page is used as a communication tool to inform people on the agenda of ‘boerenhof’. This pages brings together active neighbours, where they can discuss practical arrangements. They can use the platform to share their ideas. 81

organised on this site (green projects) are already related with the future Tondelier living project that will be built at the same place. A bond is created with a physical location, where structural work can be undertaken at a later stage. However, only the physical meetings give the residents the opportunity to indicate what changes they would like to see in their neighbourhood. The website is only used for communication purpose.

summary : using ICT platforms

What have we learned from these two case studies, located in Belgium. That it’s more profitable and productive to communicate with a small audience than to target a large audience full of noise. People tend to be more productive in a small group, because they already have a place within this community. The more public the forum is , the more people tend to keep a passive attitude. Community members play a much more active role than just ‘likers’. The participants spontaneously assume responsibility for the community and uphold its spirit and culture.

It provides people a timeline of their achievements, what they have build up over the paste months, years. Participation is established through the use of Torekes, 25 Torekes per hour. With this they can rent a garden, buy vegetables or eat at the bar. Users are again directly involved neighbours, but a larger community than boerenhof, they are active contributors.

For now, using online tools in Flanders, hasn’t reached the decision making stage yet. Decisions are always made within these organised physical workshops. This means that the platforms, as well as Facebook and blogs, don’t provide the right type of communication to make decision 82

making happen. Facebook groups have an advantage over other online communities and forums. Being that most people already know how to use Facebook, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve already created the habit of using it. For those who want to take their first steps in building a community, creating a group on Facebook is really simple and easy.

5. FIELD EXPERIMENTS

of information. We believe in the importance of experimenting diverse communication approaches, being aware that creativity can rise from alternative research tools and bring up unexpected output; furthermore, experimenting different exercises would be a way to test what kind of tools could be suitable to be inserted in the virtual platform

In order to test the affordability of the theory and strategy of our concept, our team decided to conduct a theoretical research that could support our mission statement, that will be reinforced by an empirical test in which the features of a virtual platform will be tested through physical interfaces. The aim is to make the physical system to collaborate with the virtual one, to crowdsource the problems and dreams of a community and foster the emergent horizontal and inclusive design attitude. OUR/B on Wheels is the name given to two of these experiments. We drove a mobile hub to two different cities and neighbourhoods to involve people in some exercises that would help us to test the affordability of participatory processes and crowdsourcing. The strategy we have for the on-field experiment is to carry on different types of exercises that will involve people in communicating us different kinds

Another experiment we carried out is called OURB on heels: through an application for data recording, we collected information around Brussels observing the usability and the beneficial aspects of this tool.

5.1. OURB on wheels 1. On December 17th 2016, the team of Ourb organized an experiment on field in Brussels, bringing in the street some exercise with the aim of involve citizensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; participation. Having a little van as a venue to host the practice of the little workshop, the team invited people to go through 3 different exercises which aim had been to validate certain features that could be proposed for the development of OURB platform.

known to be a pretty much complex and rather problematic. Facing a non easy audience anyways gave us the possibility to get better awareness of certain issues concerning the direct involvement of people, together with the potential of some strategies and communication approaches. The work has been divided in three different exercises, through which the team aimed to validate three topics concerning possible development of Ourb virtual platform. People that took part of the experience have been: inhabitants of the neighbourhood or cultural related ones (high percentage of Moroccans, mainly male gender participation due to cultural boundaries), passengers and travellers (due to the very central location of the area and proximity with Midi Station).

While analysing the results of the experiment itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to take into account the context in which the work has been carried on. The place picked for the first Ourb on wheelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experiment have been Avenue de Stalingrad, a big axis in the core of the neighbourhood that connects the city downtown, Les Marolles and the Midi Station area. The diversity of identities and uses of this neighbourhood does not facilitate its definition; its structure, the profile of the inhabitants and the users is very much diverse and the area is 86

5.1.1 EXERCISE 1. MAP YOUR DAILY PATH

information; just a first glimpse on the finalized map gives an impression of how the space is used by the group of people that participated to the exercise. Translating this info into numbers or categorized data, would allow to make an easy study on the average social rhythm of the area, with the possibility to repeat the exercise in order to refer to different periods or time contexts.

Description

In the first exercise people were asked to approach a big map showing Brussel’s pentagon and some adjacent area and to indicate their ordinary daily route with a string. Their route always started from their houses while all the other pins were put in the main spots that characterize each person’s daily route. A distinction of two colours mark a gender identification. This representation method allowed us to both mark crucial points and paths, creating a sort of rhythmanalysis map of the users of the are. This exercise’s aim is to understand what is people’s acquaintance with Brussels’s representation on map, and to test their ability to orient themselves in the map and to be able to report data on it. Second aim of the exercise was to test the potential of the gathered

Outputs

We discovered that many people in the area had difficulties to orient themselves in the map (at least 80 %). They both don’t know the city or don’t know how to use the map. Of course we could observe different approaches according to a visible difference in the educational status or in the difference of generation. Also we discover that certain locals completely lack with acquaintance regarding the other parts of the city.

5.1.2 EXERCISE 2. MAKE A COLLAGE OF YOUR IDEAL PLACE

Each element had its own meaning or it was be part of a certain category. The participant were free to compose these different pre-settled elements and use according to his own wills, with addition of personal drawings/ writings. The importance of having prepared elements depend by to factors: first, for practical reason of feasibility and rapidity; second, having the collages as different outputs based on the same elements, allow to make a comparison for the research to be pursued.

Description

This exercise involved people in making an actual object, producing a collage which could answer the question “what’s your ideal place?”. A collage it’s a simple yet really evocative output, it can be a way to understand people’s values and thought process; it can surface unexpected themes and needs. With the belief that making things is a way to think thing things through, the exercise is unlocking creativity and making involved people going through a critical thinking process. Creating amusement while practicing the exercise is recognized to be a way to facilitate the involvement of people, so the playful aspect of the exercise helps to attract more participants. The exercise was easily doable in order to gather the attention of a consistent number of people. The collages have been be composed by a base and an overlapping of different elements glued on them.

Outputs

The outputs we gathered out of this exercises are very nice to observe and analyse. People were available to dedicate time in producing these little objects while continuing to discuss about their perception of the city. All the collages are a mix between pre-given elements and additional personal sketches or writings, easy to compare thanks to their monochromatic features and graphic similarities. 88

Conclusions

This exercise had success thanks to the gamification aspect that has been given to it. Playfulness and fun could be key element for people engagement. As said, using given element to compose allow an easier and more accurate comparison between the outputs produced, but it can lead to a lack of contextualization and personalization in the way of expression (even though we notice that people is able to see different things in the same element: a man with the hat can have been a guard for a woman or a friend in the imagination of a guy). An interesting aspect that we noticed is the tendency of taking inspiration from otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work, like a sort of unconscious (more or less) influence that tends to happen between participants

influence from othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; works

5.1.3 EXERCISE 3. 30 SEC OPINION VIDEOS

were a few barriers the interviewed had to overcome in order to be willing to participate. One was the time constraint, the interviewed saw the videotaping as a time consuming task and was not willing to commit enough time to enter the van, sit and be recorded. Another constraint was the allowance to be recorded, some people were not ok with the idea of allowing for their image to be recorded, as they view it as interference with their personal rights. Overall it was one of the most difficult tasks to get people to participate in but those that accepted were very engaged and gave very helpful information about the area of study.

Description

The exercise involved people being videotaped for 30 seconds in the van of Ourb on wheels. The instructions were to tell us what they liked about the area and what they would like to change. The 30 sec video was a way to collect more direct data from the source, without interfering with our personal filters. It allowed for information to be captured straight from the source. The 30 secs, gave a time restriction and so it put pressure to the interviewed to give concrete answers and narrow down to the most important information they could provide.

Conclusions

In the exercise we explored the issue of trust, time and engagement as very important factors for participation. We realized that people usually donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like to engage into a task that resembles some commitment of time and space.

Outputs

One of the main observations that could be made about this exercise was the difficulties to get people to engage with the experiment. There 90

We learned that the 30 sec rule did become a tool of engagement and it facilitated the task by giving the user an understanding and control of knowing how much time they were expected to commit. The video was great at capturing a great amount information but it was difficult to get everyone to engage into.

5.2. OURB on wheels 2. On January 22th, the team of OURB was able to organised a second experiment. This time the experiment took place in Antwerp, Belgium. The location and context we chose had an influence on the way of our experiment was conducted and its outcome. Due to the cold weather we decided to move our experiments to an indoor atmosphere. We decided to plug into a community event already taking place in the neighborhood. This gave us the opportunity to interact with locals longer and it created an atmosphere where people could remain conversing. We worked along with the municipality, and were able to gain their support and resources.

from last time, and added a new experiment to the mix. The the mind mapping which this time we upgrade by adding street names and landmarks on the map to help participants orientate themselves. The second experiment of the collages got an upgrade as well. To create a better understanding of what participants would mean with their proposals, we created a flowchart which participants could follow and already get an idea of what kind of things they want to create. Participants would still make the collages which was interesting. We set were set out in another hyper diverse area, but since we were on an organised event by the municipality a lot of the crowd that showed up had either a link to the school or were already interested in participating. This time we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to surprisingly invite people from the street but instead the participants that came were already interested

The goal of this second experiment was to test out how our exercises could work in a different context in order to support the idea that the exercises could be reproduce at different locations and settings. We also made some small adjustments and improvements to the exercises 92

in the event. From 2500 invites that were sent out only about 40 people made an appearance. The majority of these people are mostly highly motivated community members, that can be referred as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;believersâ&#x20AC;?, people that will be the first to help and make something happen in the neighbourhood. We could say that gender equality was better represented however diversity was less shown. After a count we could establish we had 21 participants in our experiments.

experiment pick your plot wat zijn u wensen?

veiligheid? (safety)

levendig? (lively)

gezondheid? (health)

sport =open ruimte

openplekken creĂŤren buiten (outdoor)

faciliteiten binnen (inside)

binnen (inside) ontmoetings ruimte

buiten (outdoor) ontmoetings ruimte. plein park

5.2.1 EXERCISE 1. MAP YOUR DAILY PATH

5.2.2. EXERCISE 2. FLOWCHART

On the map exercise we provided the targeted neighbourhood highlighted and landmarks. We again asked the participants to explain their daily path, and with this exercise we were able to again start a conversation and find out a generic how inhabitants transit through the neighborhoods. Compering from the last experiment we were able to observe how people would interact with the map. This time people had an easier time figuring out their path, and so it was an easy exercise for them to partake. We would establish that everyone could find their way within half a minute and in total we placed 14 cords (paths). Overall we established as well that this already gave a good conversation starter that could lead to a second experiment.

The flowchart was the new introduced experiment which we integrated for the first time in our experiments. The exercise consisted of selecting four spots with high potential for an architectural development. In the exercise we asked the participants to select what was more important for them to have in a space, they had the options of selecting from Safety, Health or Livability. Next, the participants would choose from an outdoor or indoor condition which would lead to the selection of the site in which they would propose a project. 5.2.3 Outcomes

It can be establish that the exercises could have been visually organised in a more simple manner and could have given more options. Although most of the participants were 94

understanding the point and the visuals. It was also very interesting to see how the inhabitants learned about a new spot with a lot of potential and from that began conversing to one another about it.

were already motivated to participate and therefore the downside from this was that only people who wanted participate in community events were reached. Which left a lot of people out of the conversation, but in the other hand these locals are always a good source of information to understand what is happening in the community.

Because the experiment now was indoors and at an organised event provided with coffee and tea, it was an easy environment which create a debate between citizens which then extended beyond our expectations of participation. After the flowchart exercise participants would take a college paper and figures and go stand together around a table to make collages. In conclusion itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to acknowledge the context on which the experiment was conducted, and how that affected the kind of people that took part and the amount of time they spent engaged. The fact that we were in an interior space meant that the citizens that chose to come 95

visual representation one of the developdeveloped exercises

experiment pick your plot wat zijn u wensen?

veiligheid? (safety)

levendig? (lively)

gezondheid? (health)

sport =open ruimte

openplekken creĂŤren buiten (outdoor)

faciliteiten binnen (inside)

binnen (inside) ontmoetings ruimte

buiten (outdoor) ontmoetings ruimte. plein park

5.3. OURB ON HEELS FULCRUM EXPERIMENT

out the collected information easily and efficiently in one place while exploring the area.

The experiments of January 12th, and 13th were meant to be an exploratory research of the area of intervention of the Jonction neighborhood contract and Rouppe Neighborhood contract. The goal of these experiments was to validate the usage of digital tools in on field research in order understand how media collection improves the efficiency of a surveyor to collect data about an area, and support the idea that the combination of virtual mapping facilitates the analysis of the urban fabric.

Main features tested: Digital location based mapping -Audio interviews -Photo capturing -Sound capturing -Video capturing Area 1

Jonction Neighborhood, Brussels: -Bio Market -Institute Charles Gheude - Secondary Education Specialized Professional -Les Brigittines: Performing arts and Exhibition centre

Digital tool: Fulcrum.

The tool is a mobile data collection platform that allows you to easily build mobile forms & collect data anywhere, at anytime. The app is used mostly by surveyors and on field agents that need this technology to gather physical or social information about an area on the go. The most interesting aspect of this platform for Ourb on heels is the location based data collection. This feature allows the surveyor to automatically map

Procedure

We conducted loose conversational interviews at the locations listed above to understand the view of subjects from the area and their opinion of an outdoor space, the frequency to that area of the neighborhood, and finally the opinion 98

of the Jonction neighborhoods contractâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new proposal of the renovation of their outdoor public spaces. In order to engage the different subjects into conversation, we had to identify who we were and ask for permission to record the conversation, we then proceeded to record on phone, asked questions and turned it into a casual conversation. When the conversation was done, we wrote some comments and saved the location where we interviewed all on Fulcrum.

about the area.

Conclusion

The integration of the digital tools to collect data from an area is an efficient strategy for site analysis. The recording of conversations seem to be acceptable by the public,making it easier to gather first hand information without loosing any information through the surveyors understanding filter. We were able to prove that the location based data storing allows for easy organization of data and is useful to navigate through the study area.

Observations

We noticed that the audio recording interviews were very welcomed by the interviewed and easy to perform on field. The location based mapping of the information was also useful and easy to navigate and locate our interview. The recording allowed us to gather first source info, as it was not filtered through our own understanding of the conversation. This will be useful for future analysis of the events, and more factual analytic conclusions to be made 99

for the same observed object/place is possible to record different material as pictures, videos, audio, location, some notes. The interface is very intuitive and well studied for it to be comfortably used. Records can be exported in different formats and many users can access the same map.

Area 2: Quartier Rouppe

Procedure: We conducted a site analysis filtered through the interaction of a designer with the physical surroundings and experiences of the areas listed above, in order to collect visuals and sounds that would represent the area of study through the eyes of a designer. The interpretation of the space was expressed through several videos, pictures, sounds captured by the surveyor. This approach shows the surveyors interest and personal perspective to the spaces. Observations

: The application is very precise and this allowed us to collect data that can be referred to very specific positions (useful for instance in the observation of certain buildings). We really appreciate the function of having the possibility to collect different type of data that refer to the same geographic location, so then 100

fulcrum interface

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6. CONCLUSIONS After only four months of researching the topic of collective methods and exploring its affordances for designing, we can conclude one thing.. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a job for the faint hearted.

more collective living, we have learned that there is a new mentality change that needs to take place in order to give way to the upcoming currents of collective ingenuity. The five currents, show us how we can do less with more and highlights the positive attributes of living through a connected world. The ideas of a world relying on collective ingenuity opens the doors for co-creation, the makers movement, the circular economy, the inclusive economy and the economy of sharing, expand on the possibilities of a more resilient city. We can now positively understand that our attitude of moving towards a more inclusive and collective planning system goes along with those of many innovative minds. We can also understand that the planning systems currently set, are inadequate and are not processing with this new mentality. We also learned that this new mentality is already taking force on the online communities and exhibiting some good results on harvesting the collective intelligence

As a group we can all agree that this booklet attests only for the beginning of a greater research, one where we dive even deeper in studying how we can harvest collective ingenuity through different ways of participation methods, physical and digital, to then facilitate the process of designing, increase engagement of all stakeholders and thus building a more democratic way of developing a city. What we have learned in the past months has set the next tone on which we will tackle the next phase for the developing of OURB, as we hope to further its development to the implementation of a digital platform and the continuance of the on-field experiments. As we reflect on the theories for 102

through different methods.

could not communicate immediately. The exercises gave time for more critical opinions to be made as they needed to take sometime to think in order to act. The interactive map showed us how people navigate and how much they are aware of their surroundings. This exercise shows us how the new generations are easily able to locate themselves, while the older generations have a harder time doing so. We can also observe how the collage exercise used gamification features, by giving the user the freedom to create something, but although it gave some freedoms, it also controlled the exercise by giving preset icons that could be then categorized analyzed. In this case we can say that it is important to give some freedoms to the users but to also preserve control variables that help isolate the experimental factors. Moving forward with the next stage of OURB, we can establish that trust and gamification are very important attributes to retain the users engaged on our future

Two important lessons we can take from the online platforms we explored in this book are the value of trust and gamification. We also learned this through the experiments, as we need to build trust with our participants in order for them to engage with our exercises. It can be concluded that trust was dependent on the amount of commitment the user had to give to each of the exercise, the feasibility of knowing what to expect, and the spatial context on which they stand. Then when talking about gamification, we can say that it was one of our major key factors to achieve the participantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engagement. Through gamification of the inquired information became easy to extract, but it also gave way an alternative tool of communication. We were able to make it fun for the user to give the data we needed to understand their point of view of each requested area, and indicated certain concerns, they 103

platform. We also learned that interactive maps can be difficult for the older generation to navigate through, but that the interaction with a map for younger generations is very intuitive.

digital platforms allow for larger crowds to be reach in a short time, but it also excludes many groups who are not able to take part in the online communities for various reasons. We understand that Collective Design Intelligence Platforms need parallel supporting systems, such as the experiment we made: OURB on Wheels. We learned that it is always important to combine the virtual and the physical, as they can be complementary to each other. In the next stage of OURB we would like to continue developing OURB on Wheels alongside the virtual platform.

We are also now more educated about the context on which OURB will be introduced in. We have learned that Belgium has gone through multiple planning development strategies, and that its fragmented set up has allowed for innovative forms of development, such as Neighborhood contracts to form. It is important to notice that through Neighborhood contracts the participation of citizens has been taken into consideration for the development of projects in many neighborhoods. We believe that it is important for us to learn from these inclusive systems, and to keep collaborating with the city officials. We recognize that the digital platforms give certain possibilities but also limitations. We can say that

We will keep developing our methodologies, and extend our research to other contexts as well. Our goal is to connect with designers, developers and investors who are two vital stakeholders in the development of a city. We hope to discover their needs, as well as to learn how facilitate their communication between each other and the other stakeholders. 104

Our plan of action is always to find a realistic scenario on which we can plug in and learn from, Then allow for some experimentation on which we could quantify for systematic evaluations. Our vision is to support the communication and collaboration between stakeholders of a city, by providing tools, that will bring them together to discuss information, share expertise, and create connections that will inspire a collective development of a city.

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