8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability

- thoughts on spaces, agents, neighbourhoods and cities

March 8th, 2013Les Rencontres de Fingal

Oleg Koefoed, Ph.D, Action-philosopher; Cultura21

8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

A new role for culture?The economic model has changed

: from patronage to industries

Explosion of number of agents: birth of the creative classes

Dismantling of disciplinary borders: art in culture in neighbourhoodsin cities in projects – in policies?

How can culture lead the transformation?

SurvivalKit, Riga

Avatar

Couros / Guimaraes 2012

8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

What is prototyping?

Well-known design approach

Breaking through in urban projects

Creating unfinished microcosms – testing elements

Engaging dialogue and reflection through practice

Case 1: prototyping Copenhagen 2025

Case 2: lack of coherence in Guimaraes 2012

Dome of Visions, CPH

8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

”...we need to give patient, sustained attention to the activity of confusion,

rather than attempting to promote creativity directly..”

(David Bohm)

= Fail fast, fail early, fail often,

learn better!

Why Prototyping?

8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

Klimakvarter Skt Kjelds, Copenhagen

Copenhagen 2025 targets

Områdeløft – regeneration

2012-2018

8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

Klimakvarter Skt Kjelds, Copenhagen

Integrating / transversing the 4 pillars

Space, engaging citizens, environment, climate change

Culture (after all) as lever

8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

Sustainability/sustension = transdisciplinarity

The pre-sens(c)ing of infinity/future

Sensitivity to dynamics (patterns)

Complexity at the heart

Sustainability is a mindset

And a capacity to allow for emergence

8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

Art-Culture-Science-Activism = transversality

”cultures of sustainability (in Bateson's terms,

sensitivity to patterns that connect) is a

transversal phenomenon that cuts across all the

fields or pillars, and evoking the relation between

future, present and past choices and options”

8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

Couros, Guimaraes

Guimaraes ECoC 2012

Sustainability is highlighted (?)

Culture as lever for change (?)

OR

Fragmentation, branding, lack of funding

8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

Couros, Guimaraes

Lack of integration of art and sustainability

Nice projects, with insufficient support

= some sustensivity

Ambitions of longevity

Re-connection to be followed..

8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

Reflections from the Baltic Sea

A myriad of projects

Multitude of approaches/methods

Lack of knowledge of effects

Lack of visibility among agents

Lack of cross-fertilizing

More transdisciplinarity and transversality needed

8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

Obstacles..

”sector-based politics may very well be one of the greatest obstacles to sustainable development, as

the understandings of sustainability in varies across sectors.”

(Katrina Soini, coordinator of COST IS1017 on Cultural sustainability)

Deep challenge: the rational modern scientific model integrated in business and politics – far

away from the fabric and materiality of the world

(Oleg Koefoed, Kulturkraft)

8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

..and opportunities

A need for new ways to connect across crises!

Re-connecting to patterns that connect: aesthetics of sustainability?

Re-connecting regional and urban strategy with the multitude of local transversal

projects?

Cities leading the way ahead?

A new philosophy of action through prototyping?

8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

”The idea that action should only be taken after all the answers and the

resources have been found is a sure recipe for paralysis. The planning of a

city is a process that allows for corrections; it is supremely arrogant to

believe that planning can be done only after every possible variable has

been controlled.”

(Jaime Lerner, former mayor of Curitiba)

..the pioneer's voice

So: how do we embrace uncertainty?

8/3-2013, Fingal Oleg Koefoed: Prototyping Cultures of Sustainability in Spaces,

Neighbourhoods and Cities

Ressources & invitations

Thematic issue ”Cities, Cultures, Sustainability”

Workshop and project: The Baltic Sea Region

Kagan: Art and Sustainability booklet

Koefoed: Kulturkraft (forthcoming)