I remember 10 years ago when I finally realised that my professional practice could have recognition and when in 2015 I discovered that it also has a name: Civic Design. Since then I “embraced” it and it has become my favourite label to describe my professional activity. In 2018 I set my
Introduction Cities are hard to change because they rely on the existence of a reliable centralized status. What we can do to empower the citizens and change the system? For this to happen, the change must be promoting decentralized events. You must be able to create a lot of small, local activities
Participatory workshops are interactive sessions where participants actively engage with each other and the facilitator to share knowledge, skills, and perspectives in order to achieve a specific goal or outcome. Some key elements of a successful participatory workshop include clear and well-defined
My 2 cents on civic design. – Is your participatory process inclusive? – Is your participatory process knowledge-building? – Is your participatory process networked? – Does your participatory process contextual? – Do you use indicators in your participatory process? – Do
Introduction This COVID-era moment is crucial for the future of our city. What are you doing to change the way you practice Civic Design? The changed circumstances have amplified the importance of collaboration and co-creation in improving cities. Here are 5 actions for your consideration… Not
We live in a society permeated by technology. Today it is everywhere: in our phones, in our cars and our homes. When we think of technology, the first question that comes to my mind is: “How much control do I have over it?”. The answer to this question is important because, as technology grows e
Introduction Creating a diverse and inclusive environment for Civic Design processes is key.That means not just focusing on getting a diverse design team. But also making sure the participatory processes are designed inclusively.A participatory process, if designed inclusively, makes participants fe
There is more than one way to create a community that includes everyone in the city, where everyone is seen as human and perceived as equally valuable. Discover the “The Ladder of Engagement” and it’s five levels. The Ladder of Engagement is a tool for the processes that lead to a
On your Civic Design process, be less afraid of feelings—they can be a source of growth. Emotions fuel our decision-making, they shape our imagination and help us to find exciting and unexpected solutions. But we often have a tendency to suppress our emotions, turning our emotional state negative
Introduction Designing a participatory process is not easy. It requires a great ability to connect Located Knowledge (from citizens) with Specialized Knowledge (Professionals and Public Servants). It requires imagination and creativity to design the process and tools. A great tool is Storymapping. S
