There is currently wide-spread cynicism in relation to metropolitan strategic planning in Melbour... more There is currently wide-spread cynicism in relation to metropolitan strategic planning in Melbourne, in relation to whether it is underpinned by any vision of social or environmental justice, or is simply based on political power-brokering. Examples of past positive visions underlying Melbourne strategic planning exist, as do good practices from elsewhere from which to learn. There is an emergent alternative vision. However, it has not yet engaged the full range of the public necessary to transcend short-term political goals and engage with challenges around conflicts and trade-offs. Current strategic planning reform actively works against this alternative vision being realised.
Sustainability transitions require structural changes in society. There is a need for utilising n... more Sustainability transitions require structural changes in society. There is a need for utilising new and established methods of futures inquiry. This paper presents how design visioning has been used to initiate, stimulate and shift stakeholder conversations in the Visions and Pathways 2040 project which aimed to develop innovation strategies and policies to achieve low-carbon, resilient futures in Australian cities. We recommend that teams working in sustainability transitions research should ideally have internal design capacity or, they regularly engage with outsourced design capacity throughout the project. Since it is not possible to directly engage all stakeholders in transition projects, the research teams should reflect on the extent of participation and the implications of this extent on the politics of the project on an ongoing and transparent way. We identified exploring the implications of thinking styles, professional backgrounds and organisational associations in visioning exercises as a future research direction.
Abstract submitted to Global Cleaner Production Conference, 2015, Sitges, Barcelona)
The broad... more Abstract submitted to Global Cleaner Production Conference, 2015, Sitges, Barcelona)
The broad research domain of design for sustainability has evolved considerably from its early days of “green design” to currently emerging stream of “design for system innovations and transitions”. Design for system innovations and transitions integrates theories of design and design-led innovation with theories of system innovations and transitions. In this paper we investigate this emerging new area of design research and practice in the context of exploring desirable, resilient and low-carbon city futures, particularly focusing on Visions and Pathways 2040 (VP2040) project as a case study. VP2040 is a four year long multi-university, multi-stakeholder project aiming to develop visions, scenarios and pathways for resilient and low-carbon futures for Australian cities. The project is led by Victorian Eco-innovation Lab (VEIL) of University of Melbourne. Based in Melbourne School of Design, VEIL is a design-led laboratory for design, research, engagement and action. VEIL understands design as being “equally concerned with probing the limits of our current reality as it is with making new realities possible” (Boyer, Cook and Steinberg 2011). We identify and distinguish tangible and intangible qualities of design research and practice that informed conception, design and implementation of the VP2040 project. These include facilitative qualities, synthesising qualities, community centeredness as an extension of user-centeredness in design, and qualities that bring forth particular design skills including but not limited to visualisation, concept generation and prototyping. In the paper we discuss how these qualities are materialised in future focused, vision-led project contexts.
Transitions to low-carbon resilient futures require structural changes in socio-cultural-technolo... more Transitions to low-carbon resilient futures require structural changes in socio-cultural-technological-physical systems. Cities are increasingly becoming the focus of vision-driven transitions research, which pose creative as well as analytical challenges due to high complexity and uncertainty associated with these projects. In this paper we aim to present an investigation of role of design in projects focusing on low-carbon transitions in cities using Visions and Pathways 2040 (VP2040) project as a case study. VP2040 is a four year long project funded by the CRC low-carbon living stream aiming to develop visions, scenarios and pathways for low-carbon resilient southern Australian cities by 2040 (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth). The project adopts a design-led approach, linking research and engagement in future visioning, for addressing problems of wicked and strategic nature. Our findings indicate that the role design can play in low-carbon transitions projects is various covering very tangible, technical, skills-based roles, to very intangible roles, relating to how information is received, processed and synthesised.
Rapid urbanisation generates risks and opportunities for sustainable development. Urban policy- a... more Rapid urbanisation generates risks and opportunities for sustainable development. Urban policy- and decision-makers are challenged by the complexity of cities as social-ecological-technical systems. Consequently there is an increasing need for collaborative knowledge development that supports a whole-of-system view, and transformational change at multiple scales. Such holistic urban approaches are rare in practice. A co-design process involving researchers, practitioners and other stakeholders, has progressed such an approach in the Australian context, aiming to also contribute to international knowledge development and sharing. This process has generated three outputs: (1) a shared framework to support more systematic knowledge development and use (2) identification of barriers that create a gap between stated urban goals and actual practice, and (3) identification of strategic focal areas to address this gap. Developing integrated strategies at broader urban scales is seen as the most pressing need. The knowledge framework adopts a systems perspective that incorporates the many urban trade-offs and synergies revealed by a systems view. Broader implications are drawn for policy- and decision-makers, for researchers and for a shared forward agenda.
Sustainability transitions require structural and systemic changes. Transitions research poses cr... more Sustainability transitions require structural and systemic changes. Transitions research poses creative as well as analytical challenges due to high complexity and uncertainty associated with these projects. In this article we present an initial and exploratory investigation of roles design plays in transition projects focusing on Visions and Pathways 2040 (VP2040) project as a case study. VP2040 aims to develop visions, scenarios and pathways for low-carbon resilient futures in Australian cities. The project adopts a design-led approach, linking research and engagement in design-led future visioning. Our findings indicate that the roles design can play in sustainability transitions projects is various covering very tangible, technical, skills-based roles, to very intangible roles, relating to how information is received, processed and syn-thesised. Our findings also imply that, increasingly more, design practitioners will need to bring in skills and knowledge that have not been part of conventional design education, and therefore, institutions providing design education need to start developing and implementing curriculums that will equip graduates with these new professional capacities.
There is currently wide-spread cynicism in relation to metropolitan strategic planning in Melbour... more There is currently wide-spread cynicism in relation to metropolitan strategic planning in Melbourne, in relation to whether it is underpinned by any vision of social or environmental justice, or is simply based on political power-brokering. Examples of past positive visions underlying Melbourne strategic planning exist, as do good practices from elsewhere from which to learn. There is an emergent alternative vision. However, it has not yet engaged the full range of the public necessary to transcend short-term political goals and engage with challenges around conflicts and trade-offs. Current strategic planning reform actively works against this alternative vision being realised.
Sustainability transitions require structural changes in society. There is a need for utilising n... more Sustainability transitions require structural changes in society. There is a need for utilising new and established methods of futures inquiry. This paper presents how design visioning has been used to initiate, stimulate and shift stakeholder conversations in the Visions and Pathways 2040 project which aimed to develop innovation strategies and policies to achieve low-carbon, resilient futures in Australian cities. We recommend that teams working in sustainability transitions research should ideally have internal design capacity or, they regularly engage with outsourced design capacity throughout the project. Since it is not possible to directly engage all stakeholders in transition projects, the research teams should reflect on the extent of participation and the implications of this extent on the politics of the project on an ongoing and transparent way. We identified exploring the implications of thinking styles, professional backgrounds and organisational associations in visioning exercises as a future research direction.
Abstract submitted to Global Cleaner Production Conference, 2015, Sitges, Barcelona)
The broad... more Abstract submitted to Global Cleaner Production Conference, 2015, Sitges, Barcelona)
The broad research domain of design for sustainability has evolved considerably from its early days of “green design” to currently emerging stream of “design for system innovations and transitions”. Design for system innovations and transitions integrates theories of design and design-led innovation with theories of system innovations and transitions. In this paper we investigate this emerging new area of design research and practice in the context of exploring desirable, resilient and low-carbon city futures, particularly focusing on Visions and Pathways 2040 (VP2040) project as a case study. VP2040 is a four year long multi-university, multi-stakeholder project aiming to develop visions, scenarios and pathways for resilient and low-carbon futures for Australian cities. The project is led by Victorian Eco-innovation Lab (VEIL) of University of Melbourne. Based in Melbourne School of Design, VEIL is a design-led laboratory for design, research, engagement and action. VEIL understands design as being “equally concerned with probing the limits of our current reality as it is with making new realities possible” (Boyer, Cook and Steinberg 2011). We identify and distinguish tangible and intangible qualities of design research and practice that informed conception, design and implementation of the VP2040 project. These include facilitative qualities, synthesising qualities, community centeredness as an extension of user-centeredness in design, and qualities that bring forth particular design skills including but not limited to visualisation, concept generation and prototyping. In the paper we discuss how these qualities are materialised in future focused, vision-led project contexts.
Transitions to low-carbon resilient futures require structural changes in socio-cultural-technolo... more Transitions to low-carbon resilient futures require structural changes in socio-cultural-technological-physical systems. Cities are increasingly becoming the focus of vision-driven transitions research, which pose creative as well as analytical challenges due to high complexity and uncertainty associated with these projects. In this paper we aim to present an investigation of role of design in projects focusing on low-carbon transitions in cities using Visions and Pathways 2040 (VP2040) project as a case study. VP2040 is a four year long project funded by the CRC low-carbon living stream aiming to develop visions, scenarios and pathways for low-carbon resilient southern Australian cities by 2040 (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth). The project adopts a design-led approach, linking research and engagement in future visioning, for addressing problems of wicked and strategic nature. Our findings indicate that the role design can play in low-carbon transitions projects is various covering very tangible, technical, skills-based roles, to very intangible roles, relating to how information is received, processed and synthesised.
Rapid urbanisation generates risks and opportunities for sustainable development. Urban policy- a... more Rapid urbanisation generates risks and opportunities for sustainable development. Urban policy- and decision-makers are challenged by the complexity of cities as social-ecological-technical systems. Consequently there is an increasing need for collaborative knowledge development that supports a whole-of-system view, and transformational change at multiple scales. Such holistic urban approaches are rare in practice. A co-design process involving researchers, practitioners and other stakeholders, has progressed such an approach in the Australian context, aiming to also contribute to international knowledge development and sharing. This process has generated three outputs: (1) a shared framework to support more systematic knowledge development and use (2) identification of barriers that create a gap between stated urban goals and actual practice, and (3) identification of strategic focal areas to address this gap. Developing integrated strategies at broader urban scales is seen as the most pressing need. The knowledge framework adopts a systems perspective that incorporates the many urban trade-offs and synergies revealed by a systems view. Broader implications are drawn for policy- and decision-makers, for researchers and for a shared forward agenda.
Sustainability transitions require structural and systemic changes. Transitions research poses cr... more Sustainability transitions require structural and systemic changes. Transitions research poses creative as well as analytical challenges due to high complexity and uncertainty associated with these projects. In this article we present an initial and exploratory investigation of roles design plays in transition projects focusing on Visions and Pathways 2040 (VP2040) project as a case study. VP2040 aims to develop visions, scenarios and pathways for low-carbon resilient futures in Australian cities. The project adopts a design-led approach, linking research and engagement in design-led future visioning. Our findings indicate that the roles design can play in sustainability transitions projects is various covering very tangible, technical, skills-based roles, to very intangible roles, relating to how information is received, processed and syn-thesised. Our findings also imply that, increasingly more, design practitioners will need to bring in skills and knowledge that have not been part of conventional design education, and therefore, institutions providing design education need to start developing and implementing curriculums that will equip graduates with these new professional capacities.
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Papers by chris ryan
The broad research domain of design for sustainability has evolved considerably from its early days of “green design” to currently emerging stream of “design for system innovations and transitions”. Design for system innovations and transitions integrates theories of design and design-led innovation with theories of system innovations and transitions. In this paper we investigate this emerging new area of design research and practice in the context of exploring desirable, resilient and low-carbon city futures, particularly focusing on Visions and Pathways 2040 (VP2040) project as a case study. VP2040 is a four year long multi-university, multi-stakeholder project aiming to develop visions, scenarios and pathways for resilient and low-carbon futures for Australian cities. The project is led by Victorian Eco-innovation Lab (VEIL) of University of Melbourne. Based in Melbourne School of Design, VEIL is a design-led laboratory for design, research, engagement and action. VEIL understands design as being “equally concerned with probing the limits of our current reality as it is with making new realities possible” (Boyer, Cook and Steinberg 2011). We identify and distinguish tangible and intangible qualities of design research and practice that informed conception, design and implementation of the VP2040 project. These include facilitative qualities, synthesising qualities, community centeredness as an extension of user-centeredness in design, and qualities that bring forth particular design skills including but not limited to visualisation, concept generation and prototyping. In the paper we discuss how these qualities are materialised in future focused, vision-led project contexts.
The broad research domain of design for sustainability has evolved considerably from its early days of “green design” to currently emerging stream of “design for system innovations and transitions”. Design for system innovations and transitions integrates theories of design and design-led innovation with theories of system innovations and transitions. In this paper we investigate this emerging new area of design research and practice in the context of exploring desirable, resilient and low-carbon city futures, particularly focusing on Visions and Pathways 2040 (VP2040) project as a case study. VP2040 is a four year long multi-university, multi-stakeholder project aiming to develop visions, scenarios and pathways for resilient and low-carbon futures for Australian cities. The project is led by Victorian Eco-innovation Lab (VEIL) of University of Melbourne. Based in Melbourne School of Design, VEIL is a design-led laboratory for design, research, engagement and action. VEIL understands design as being “equally concerned with probing the limits of our current reality as it is with making new realities possible” (Boyer, Cook and Steinberg 2011). We identify and distinguish tangible and intangible qualities of design research and practice that informed conception, design and implementation of the VP2040 project. These include facilitative qualities, synthesising qualities, community centeredness as an extension of user-centeredness in design, and qualities that bring forth particular design skills including but not limited to visualisation, concept generation and prototyping. In the paper we discuss how these qualities are materialised in future focused, vision-led project contexts.