The future of public space as our proposal would be multiple use of the same space available. As stated in week 1 reports, “avoid”, “recycle” and “compensate” are the 3 criteria we will look into. We will use the concept of “placemaking” to further explore possibilities of shaping the culture of sustainability awareness. While environmentalism has challenged human impact on our planet, it is not the planet that is threatened but humanity’s ability to live viably here. Placemaking is the communal capacity, for people to thrive with each other and our natural world. which is dedicated to encouraging and empowering people to take ownership over and contribute to the world beyond their private property and work together to improve them. It is the common sense process through which the human places we most value are created and sustained. (PPS, placemaking)
In essence, the future public spaces will be not one space for one function but rather one space for a multitude of changing functions. These spaces are then defined by what kinds of functions the tourists and mainly the locals would want to ensure that these spaces are most active and efficiently used.
This will call for smart design techniques. These designs include using the current technologies instead of waiting for the development of one, in order to ensure fast and instant applications. This involved a multitude of possible technological interventions. Smart lighting and solar power could be possible options of smart technologies in application. However, simple techniques such as glow paints instead of bright light, especially at the ecological fringe will be effective. The technologies will address harmony of ecological, social and economic aspects.
Places for initiatives for social awareness will be a key goal for use of these technologies.
This will take into place by two steps: first educating the people of the interventions needed, next inviting for realistic design proposals, and lastly, taking a public vote on the solutions presented. The approach of this development system will be the use of back-casting method, meaning that the desired future will be worked out backwards by identifying policies and programs and then connect future to present
These approaches combine
1. The involvement of a broad range of stakeholders and actors from different
societal groups including government, companies, public interest groups, and
knowledge bodies, not only when defining the problem but also when searching
for solutions and developing shared visions.
2. Incorporating not only the environmental component of sustainability, but also its economic and social components.
3. Taking into account the demand side and the supply chain as well as related
production and consumption systems. (adapted from J.Quist, 2013)
The agenda includes channelizing human, social, economic, infrastructure and cultural capital into the generation of place capital (adapted from The Benefits of place)
References:
PPS, placemaking, (http://www.pps.org/reference/placemaking-as-a-new-environmentalism/)
The benefits of place, http://www.pps.org/reference/place-capital-the-shared-wealth-that-drives-thriving-communities/
J.Quist, 2013, Backcasting and Scenarios for Sustainable Technological Development, Delft university of Technology.