Bamfield Codesign drawings

Some of the codesign drawings generated during the Coastal Biodiversity Youth Forum organized by Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre.  The Forum combined a rich program of scientific sampling techniques, hiking, and diving.  To reflect on these experiences, youth codesigned that sweetspot between Wilderness chick and City dude.  We also spent some time codesigning for the Public Education progam.  Both the educators and the students made collaborative drawings to design an education program that meets the needs of students and educators and scientists. We are very grateful for the support from the Institute for Environmental Learning and the Real Estate Foundation.  

Trained teachers in Camosun bog

What are some first steps to help youth to participate in sustainable design?  Encourage them to explore nature within the city!  In collaboration with the Camosun bog Restoration Group and Metro Vancouver Regional Parks, I trained teachers from Metro Vancouver to identify bog species and to implement youth manual techniques  Where the Wild Things Are October Pro-D.  

Wilderness in a City

We trained teachers in youth manual techniques at the Camosun bog pro-D event.  Camosun bog is an ancient ecosystem imbedded in the heart of a busy city.  It contains an extraordinary biodiversity of species such as carnivorous sundews and arctic starflower, cloudberry. On a wet, cold west coast monsoon, this bog glows with beauty and colour: The perfect location for demonstrating how a city emerges from the wilderness.

Susan, wilderness chick, enabled participants to learn 10 bog species in just 10 minutes, using silly memory tricks, one participant is being a little teapot and holding labrador tea.  

Stanley, city dude, led a City on the Wall activity to demonstrate the effect of urbanization on a pristine wilderness setting

Exploring a Kelp Forest

I helped out at the Bamfield Marine Science Centre for the Kelp Forest Diversity Youth Forum.  Bamfield is a remote location on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island.  Ten youth participated, Together with our instructors, Hana and Ali, we dove into a kelp forest and explored the biodiversity within. The program was packed with activities such as an invertebrate lab, kelp lab, snorkeling, beachcombing, hiking, using an underwater camera.  We were honoured to listen to a lecture by Dr. Louis Druehl, an authority on kelp.  Within this packed program,  I facilitated some co-design activities such as a "city on the wall" activity and also a co-design dialogue.  The co-design drawing included many of the activities we participated in.  The dialogue encouraged youth to consider their future ecological web as they return to the urban environment.  This forum was organized and led by Dr. Hana Kucera and Ali Griffith, two very talented environmental educators and dedicated researchers in marine biology.

Bamfield is accessible by logging road, boat or float plane. I took my first exhilarating trip on a small plane to get here.

we explored a kelp forest;  sea anenome, crab, seastar, a school of herring, seals, sea lion.  This coast is overflowing with biodiversity.

the city on the wall

Biodiverse-City at the Beaty Museum

Beaty Biodiversity Museum had their Urban Festival today. Their flagship specimen is an enormous blue whale skeleton.   Imagine your city respects biodiversity.  What would you be doing? Families, teens, toddlers, and fellow Beaty volunteers co-designed "biodiverse-city".  Two 17 year old visitors from Ontario expressed great concern for their ecological future.  They were interested in biology, ecology and art. One drew a mermaid on the "Day in the Life" timeline.  The conversation made me reflect on how a combination of passion, leadership, creativity and technical expertise will be required of youth to face challenges they never chose for themselves.  They were fascinated by the museum, biodiversity and the challenge of designing a biodiverse-city.  

 

Little Mountain Co-design Video

This video is great for describing the philosophy and rationale of co-design.   A 20 minute video of the Little Mountain co-design, facilitated by The Co-Design Group.  Co-design images are created by citizens and therefore, the citizens feel a great sense of ownership of the drawings.  The artist is only the hand for the mind's eye.  When the drawings are done, the design team analyzes and prioritizes all ideas to create a design solution from the complex and rich compilation of vignettes.  This co-design workshop was the start of an extensive consultation process.  A summary of their concepts can be found here.


Little Mountain Redevelopment: Meeting #1 The Stanley King Experience from David Vaisbord on Vimeo.

Viva Vancouver youth artists

These photos were taken by Reanne Li, youth artist for Viva Vancouver Co-Design

Hobson of Prime Earth Environment Association, Tessica and Veronika.  These three youth were in charge of Plan-it Earth.  

Stanley King, Ben Ostrander, of the Co-Design Group and Hobson Lin

Susan Chung, Co-Design Group  and Tesicca, youth artist

Drew Ferrari, Co-Design Group, and Stanley King

Co-design Demo at the Viva Vancouver Street Party

There will be Brazilian martial arts, dance food and... co-design! Click on the image below to get the schedule.  photos of event here.

Early work, 1970s

Some photos of early co-design work pioneered by Stanley King.  In this case, the site was a huge parking lot in downtown Vancouver.  Stanley organized a "City on the Wall" and also a "Design- in". During the site walk, teens analyzed the car lot for sight, smell, sound, movement and circulation.  The resulting drawings illustrated public desire for activities supported by abundant green space, a dome with a skating rink, outdoor eating, water features.  

People asked for car-free pedestrian spaces for relaxing, socializing, eating.   The ideas, drawn from ordinary citizens, demonstrate how co-design can sensitively tap into citizen's desires for how they wish to live.  Drawings were given to the design team led by Arthur Erickson who designed Robson Square.  Erickson asked Cornelia Oberlander to design the landscape:  the first roof garden in North America. 

These still shots are from Chairs for Lovers, a documentary film directed by Barrie Howells for the National Film Board of Canada.

Robson Square Before

Robson Square (after) designed by Arthur Erickson

children ask the artist to draw a dome with skating underneath

the parking lot that became Robson Square: view of the law courts, now the Vancouver Art Gallery

Stanley King starting the "city on the wall": "imagine you were here when the land was new...."

Stanley encourages kids to draw anything they want in a city

Sustainable VSB Show and Tell

Vancouver School Board: Sustainability from Josli Rockafella on Vimeo.

Kevin outlines the VSB sustainability framework an invites response

Kevin Millsip, district sustainability coordinator for Vancouver School Board, hosted a VSB Sustainability Show and Tell to engage staff to respond to the VSB sustainability framework.   Next Up youth leaders led a world cafe dialogue.   I facilitated a co-design timeline as a grafitti wall: A Day in the Life of a Sustainable VSB.  Kevin asked for youth input during the  Plan-It Earth conference.

crowdsourcing

I attended the lecture on Crowdsourced Cities conducted by SFU.  Lukas Biewald of Crowdflower explained the background and trends in crowdsourcing, Darin Dinsmore of Crowdbrite showed how an international competition led to innovation in design., and Colleen Hardwick of PlaceSpeak demonstrated the use of pioneering software for location-based community consultation.

Each speaker spoke of their innovative use of the computer to reach people to collect many human judgements on planning issue. The large numbers of opinions, and the speedy gathering of them, were seen as advantages over traditional methods of public design dialogue.

Wilderness Chick

Vanessa Lee interpreted this gorgeous river slough

Vanessa Lee is leader of interpretation of Metro Vancouver Regional Parks, and a keynote speaker for Plan-it earth 2011.  She led an interpretive canoe trip after the EEPSA  meeting.  This group of BC environmental educators hold their meetings outdoors.  Today's was at Deas Island, a 5 minute drive from the city.  Our paddles dipped into green waters surrounded by cattails, eelgrass, skunk cabbage.  Sounds of red-wing blackbird, woodpeckers, marsh wren, eagle.  We passed an eagle looking sternly at us as we examined its nest. It was so close, we could see the white feathers on its head.  Herons fished in the reeds.   We floated by the wreck of a rum runner.  Under the bridge, we heard the roar of cars speeding towards the city, their occupants unaware of the biodiversity below them.

wreck of a rum runner dating back to the time of US prohibition.

Plan-It Earth, planned by youth for youth

200 people were in attendance at Plan -it Earth 2011 on April 15th.  This event enabled 120 youth to draw, write and describe their sustainable region.  Planned by a core group of five dedicated youth and an action team of about 30 students, all from Churchill, Prince of Wales, St. Pats and Kitsilano Secondaries. Participants came from throughout Vancouver, and we warmly welcomed the presence of Windermere Secondary and Magee Secondary youth leadership groups. Students from David Lloyd George Elementary attended the Children's program.  Plan-it earth was a collaboration of Vancouver youth with a passion for the environment.  This event was hosted once again by Prince of Wales Secondary.  Thanks  PW admin team!

We are very grateful for support from Bruce Ford and Vanessa Lee (Metro Vancouver); from Amanda Mitchell (the City of Vancouver); from Kevin Millsip, (sustainability coordinator, VSB)  and Stanley King from the Co-Design Group who donated facilitation services.  We accepted funding, with thanks from  Architecture Canada: The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the Vancouver Foundation Youth Philanthropy Council, and the Vancouver School Board through Kevin Millsip's project eco-logo contest.

Tesicca, youth co-design artist, plan-it earth core team

day in the life of a sustainable region

day in the life graffiti wall

Stanley King, The Co-Design Group, and Architecture Canada (RAIC) representative

Britannia Garden Club students win Queen of Green most unique project

all photos by Ian Marcuse, Grandview Woodland Food Connection

An earth day parade organized by youth for youth converged on Britannia Secondary.  Britannia Garden Club was awarded the Queen of Green award, amongst other awards, for most unique project!   Project BUG 's  design participation was a big part of this.  Youth members of the garden club made seed bombs beside their co-design drawings.  Congratulations to the dedicated students involved, and to Ian Marcuse, community organizer of GWFC.   Check out this inspiring Earth day event.

Flickr set of photos for project BUG's display here  and video of the parade here