In response to Jean's post and in line with what Cameron outlined I have
done some work in/with the Tumut community (Rural NSW Australia) over the
last two years (for my PhD). I implemented a design-led research methodology
constructed out of a compilation of Manzini's work, cultural probes (like
those from Gaver and which Sabine Hielscher uses) and game formats (like the
Underdogs and Superheros project from the Interactive Institute). I asked
the question what kind of sustainable wellbeing the Tumut community wanted
for their future. The results where that they wanted to motivate more
members of their community to get involved in instigating and running
socially oriented activities in their town. After talking to the council
this seems like a core need to encourage bottom up activities. However what
kept coming up through out the project was the need to overcome the inertia
of differing to council or other bodies, a need to empower people to develop
their own initiatives. So even though many outside design don't yet see
the potential value of design research I think enabling bottom
up initiatives is a current need we can contribute to (especially in country
towns like Tumut).
I'm hoping to present my research findings at the Cumulus conference
in Melbourne this November. I have also put some information up on my
wetpaint wiki vivekaturnbullhocking.wetpaint.com
Hope that is of interest
viveka.
2009/7/18 Cameron Tonkinwise <[log in to unmask]>
> This is more or less Ezio Manzini's project; using
> design to 'amplify' existing community-level sus-
> tainable living initiatives. Amplification happens
> directly - the designer service-redesigning an
> existing 'creative community' initiative in order
> to make it more resilient - and indirectly - having
> service-redesigned on a creative community initia-
> tive, the designer will then have a 'model,' and
> perhaps also some tools, to then offer to other
> communities to replicate. In some cases, the
> service-redesign work will identify barriers to
> how the community is trying to live that should
> be rectified by policy changes (where design's
> workarounds prove insufficient). For example,
> sharing, of housing, cars, childcare, backyard
> food production, can be facilitated by design
> (e.g., scheduling tools), but often also needs
> policy-led enablement (promoting insurance for
> shared-goods, altered liability for community
> organizations, entry and exit processes for
> joint ownership). On all this, see the very
> nice new NoLo text: _The Sharing Solution_
> http://www.sharingsolution.com/
>
> A very nice example of how to resource these
> sorts of community initiatives is the IOBY
> project here in New York:
> http://www.ioby.org/
>
> On Ezio's work see:
> www.sustainable-everyday.net
>
> Cameron Tonkinwise
>
>
> On 7/17/09 3:34 PM, "Jean Schneider" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > Hello,
> >
> > For the yearly conference that I am organising each January, I would
> > like to organise a session that would focus on design activities that
> > occur at rather low levels, such as communities.
> >
> > The point I wish to put into discussion is, roughly said, the
> > following : most design policies tend to be driven by economical
> > considerations and support actions tend to be "top-down" (actions are
> > defined using rather ex-ante criteria, set from governments towards
> > the players themselves).
> > Now, I want to figure out whether there is a viable alternative (in
> > terms of policy making) to start from existing actions, set up by
> > whatever organisation (NGO, cooperative, voluntary networks), and
> > figure out whether it would not be effective to either inject some
> > funds, structural support, or demultiply them in different contexts.
> >
> > I know that this happens in communities, mostly when it comes to
> > local urban planning or architecture. And I shall take here design in
> > a broad sense as well.
> >
> > What I am asking you to help me with is directions towards cases,
> > examples, that you might know or have heard of.
> >
> > You could mail me off list. If other people are interested, I will
> > compile the information and post it back to the list.
> >
> > Best regards and thanks in advance,
> >
> > Jean
> >
> > Jean Schneider
> > Chargé de projet APCI / Project manager APCI
> > [log in to unmask] +33(0)661 350 357
> > www.apci.asso.fr
>
--
Viveka Turnbull Hocking
Tel...........02 6456 7439
Mobile.....0431 945 252
Mail.........PO Box 1066,
Jindabyne NSW 2627
