The Societal Impact Methodology – Connecting Citizens, Sustainability Awareness, Technological Interventions & Co-creative City Visions

Abstract

Sustainability needs professionals and methodologies that can bring the architecturally qualitative and scientifically quantitative together to reveal the latent potential of our cities and people. These experts must have the necessary communication skills, personalities and backgrounds to firmly place city stakeholders at the heart of this local and global challenge. This approach, developed during the City-zen Project ‘Roadshow’ (a European Union FP7 funded initiative to develop and demonstrate Zero Energy Cities), began life as a powerful but over simplistic idea. It has since developed into a realizable, mobile, intense, creative, amenable and proven approach that supports cities in their efforts toward carbon descent. The methodology continues to evolve ‘city-by-city‘ by embracing diverse climates, cultures, economies, existing urban morphologies and building typologies. It has been successfully applied in Amsterdam, Belfast, Izmir, Dubrovnik and Menorca. Upcoming destinations will be Sevilla (Spain), Roeselare (Belgium) and Klaipeda (Lithuania). A team of internationally recognized experts in sustainable urbanism & architecture, carbon accounting, energy potential mapping and advanced technologies travel with the City-zen Roadshow to facilitate this approach. This paper will describe the Societal Impact Methodology with reference to previous outcomes, activities, experiences and a detailed explanation of two mutually dependent and inspirational parallel workshops.