IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i8p4577-d539824.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Activating Data through Eco-Didactic Design in the Public Realm: Enabling Sustainable Development in Cities

Author

Listed:
  • Carmela Cucuzzella

    (Department of Design and Computation Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada)

  • Morteza Hazbei

    (School of Graduate Studies, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada)

  • Sherif Goubran

    (Department of Architecture, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt)

Abstract

This paper explores how design in the public realm can integrate city data to help disseminate the information embedded within it and provide urban opportunities for knowledge exchange. The hypothesis is that such art and design practices in public spaces, as places of knowledge exchange, may enable more sustainable communities and cities through the visualization of data. To achieve this, we developed a methodology to compare various design approaches for integrating three main elements in public-space design projects: city data, specific issues of sustainability, and varying methods for activating the data. To test this methodology, we applied it to a pedogeological project where students were required to render city data visible. We analyze the proposals presented by the young designers to understand their approaches to design, data, and education. We study how they “educate” and “dialogue” with the community about sustainable issues. Specifically, the research attempts to answer the following questions: (1) How can we use data in the design of public spaces as a means for sustainability knowledge exchange in the city? (2) How can community-based design contribute to innovative data collection and dissemination for advancing sustainability in the city? (3) What are the overlaps between the projects’ intended impacts and the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Our findings suggest that there is a need for such creative practices, as they make information available to the community, using unconventional methods. Furthermore, more research is needed to better understand the short- and long-term outcomes of these works in the public realm.

Suggested Citation

  • Carmela Cucuzzella & Morteza Hazbei & Sherif Goubran, 2021. "Activating Data through Eco-Didactic Design in the Public Realm: Enabling Sustainable Development in Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-37, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:8:p:4577-:d:539824
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/8/4577/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/8/4577/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Muhammad Awais & Tanzila Samin & Muhammad Awais Gulzar & Jinsoo Hwang, 2019. "The Sustainable Development of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor: Synergy among Economic, Social, and Environmental Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Harriet Hawkins & Sallie A. Marston & Mrill Ingram & Elizabeth Straughan, 2015. "The Art of Socioecological Transformation," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 105(2), pages 331-341, March.
    3. César Benavente-Peces, 2019. "On the Energy Efficiency in the Next Generation of Smart Buildings—Supporting Technologies and Techniques," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-25, November.
    4. Gardner, T.A. & Benzie, M. & Börner, J. & Dawkins, E. & Fick, S. & Garrett, R. & Godar, J. & Grimard, A. & Lake, S. & Larsen, R.K. & Mardas, N. & McDermott, C.L. & Meyfroidt, P. & Osbeck, M. & Persson, 2019. "Transparency and sustainability in global commodity supply chains," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 163-177.
    5. Geels, Frank W., 2010. "Ontologies, socio-technical transitions (to sustainability), and the multi-level perspective," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 495-510, May.
    6. Thomas Princen, 2003. "Principles for Sustainability: From Cooperation and Efficiency to Sufficiency," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 3(1), pages 33-50, February.
    7. Singh, Yamini Jain & Lukman, Azhari & Flacke, Johannes & Zuidgeest, Mark & Van Maarseveen, M.F.A.M., 2017. "Measuring TOD around transit nodes - Towards TOD policy," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 96-111.
    8. Guido Ferilli & Pier Luigi Sacco & Giorgio Tavano Blessi & Stefano Forbici, 2017. "Power to the people: when culture works as a social catalyst in urban regeneration processes (and when it does not)," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(2), pages 241-258, February.
    9. Chupin, Jean-Pierre, 2011. "Judgement by design: Towards a model for studying and improving the competition process in architecture and urban design," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 173-184, March.
    10. D. Gotteland & C. Haon, 2005. "Développer un produit nouveau : méthodes et outils," Post-Print halshs-00094549, HAL.
    11. Olivera Kostoska & Ljupco Kocarev, 2019. "A Novel ICT Framework for Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-31, April.
    12. Roland Zinkernagel & James Evans & Lena Neij, 2018. "Applying the SDGs to Cities: Business as Usual or a New Dawn?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-18, September.
    13. Ash Amin, 2008. "Collective culture and urban public space," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(1), pages 5-24, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Vermunt, D.A. & Wojtynia, N. & Hekkert, M.P. & Van Dijk, J. & Verburg, R. & Verweij, P.A. & Wassen, M. & Runhaar, H., 2022. "Five mechanisms blocking the transition towards ‘nature-inclusive’ agriculture: A systemic analysis of Dutch dairy farming," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    2. Huadong Chen & Kai Zhao & Zhan Zhang & Haodong Zhang & Linjun Lu, 2024. "Methods for the Performance Evaluation and Design Optimization of Metro Transit-Oriented Development Sites Based on Urban Big Data," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-23, August.
    3. Carlo Rega & Alessandro Bonifazi, 2020. "The Rise of Resilience in Spatial Planning: A Journey through Disciplinary Boundaries and Contested Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-18, September.
    4. Jordi Molas-Gallart & Alejandra Boni & Sandro Giachi & Johan Schot, 2021. "A formative approach to the evaluation of Transformative Innovation Policies [The Need for Reflexive Evaluation Approaches in Development Cooperation]," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 30(4), pages 431-442.
    5. Pushpa Arabindoo, 2020. "Renewable energy, sustainability paradox and the post-urban question," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(11), pages 2300-2320, August.
    6. Filippo Corsini & Rafael Laurenti & Franziska Meinherz & Francesco Paolo Appio & Luca Mora, 2019. "The Advent of Practice Theories in Research on Sustainable Consumption: Past, Current and Future Directions of the Field," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-19, January.
    7. Capellán-Pérez, Iñigo & Campos-Celador, Álvaro & Terés-Zubiaga, Jon, 2018. "Renewable Energy Cooperatives as an instrument towards the energy transition in Spain," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 215-229.
    8. Pandza, Krsto & Ellwood, Paul, 2013. "Strategic and ethical foundations for responsible innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(5), pages 1112-1125.
    9. Karolina Isaksson & Satu Heikkinen, 2018. "Sustainability Transitions at the Frontline. Lock-in and Potential for Change in the Local Planning Arena," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-17, March.
    10. Regan Koch & Alan Latham, 2013. "On the Hard Work of Domesticating a Public Space," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 50(1), pages 6-21, January.
    11. Sam Hampton & Richard Blundel & Aqueel Wahga & Tina Fawcett & Christopher Shaw, 2022. "Transforming small and medium‐sized enterprises to address the climate emergency: The case for values‐based engagement," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(5), pages 1424-1439, September.
    12. Merrie, Andrew & Olsson, Per, 2014. "An innovation and agency perspective on the emergence and spread of Marine Spatial Planning," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 366-374.
    13. Avelino, Flor & Wittmayer, Julia M. & Pel, Bonno & Weaver, Paul & Dumitru, Adina & Haxeltine, Alex & Kemp, René & Jørgensen, Michael S. & Bauler, Tom & Ruijsink, Saskia & O'Riordan, Tim, 2019. "Transformative social innovation and (dis)empowerment," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 195-206.
    14. Carina Mueller & Christopher West & Mairon G. Bastos Lima & Bob Doherty, 2023. "Demand-Side Actors in Agricultural Supply Chain Sustainability: An Assessment of Motivations for Action, Implementation Challenges, and Research Frontiers," World, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-20, September.
    15. Yuzhuo Cai & Borja Ramis Ferrer & Jose Luis Martinez Lastra, 2019. "Building University-Industry Co-Innovation Networks in Transnational Innovation Ecosystems: Towards a Transdisciplinary Approach of Integrating Social Sciences and Artificial Intelligence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-23, August.
    16. María Jesús Rosado-García & Renata Kubus & Ramón Argüelles-Bustillo & María Jesús García-García, 2021. "A New European Bauhaus for a Culture of Transversality and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-22, October.
    17. Catia Milena Lopes & Annibal José Scavarda & Mauricio Nunes Macedo de Carvalho & André Luis Korzenowski, 2018. "The Business Model and Innovation Analyses: The Sustainable Transition Obstacles and Drivers for the Hospital Supply Chains," Resources, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-17, December.
    18. Javier García López & Raffaele Sisto & Javier Benayas & Álvaro de Juanes & Julio Lumbreras & Carlos Mataix, 2021. "Assessment of the Results and Methodology of the Sustainable Development Index for Spanish Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-29, June.
    19. Frank, Alejandro Germán & Gerstlberger, Wolfgang & Paslauski, Carolline Amaral & Lerman, Laura Visintainer & Ayala, Néstor Fabián, 2018. "The contribution of innovation policy criteria to the development of local renewable energy systems," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 353-365.
    20. Vincent-Paul Sanon & Raymond Ouedraogo & Patrice Toé & Hamid El Bilali & Erwin Lautsch & Stefan Vogel & Andreas H. Melcher, 2021. "Socio-Economic Perspectives of Transition in Inland Fisheries and Fish Farming in a Least Developed Country," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-34, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:8:p:4577-:d:539824. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.