Systems thinking is fundamental to understanding systems. So to understand systems, let's start with exploring, what are systems? (1) Systems are evolutionary structures. They are characterized by boundaries that contain system elements. Those elements have evolved across deep time, from the Big Bang until now. The basic evolutionary strata that we can point to on [...]
How can I shift my perspective of the city when I am not aware of the perspective I hold? A shift in perspective assumes that a change in my view occurs. Unpacking such a shift requires the answers to some basic questions: What is my current perspective? Why would I change it? How can I [...]
Integral Cities in different locations must adapt differing solutions to the same infrastructure problems. We need to evolve our internal environments and design our external environments in ways that honour the ecosphere that we are inextricably a part of . Only by doing so can both individual and collective human life optimize the amazing diversity our DNA has gifted us [...]
Integral City 2.0 innovation systems are emerging because conscious capitalists, governments, students and citizens are aligning strategies for leaders, organizations and governance systems to transform entire cities from resistant holdouts to resilient human hives. Humans as Gaia’s most "reflective organ" have located 50% of our species' brain trust in the world’s cities. We are starting to see the shape of Integral [...]
How would we approach the built design for Integral City 2.0? Could we find a designer with the depths of consciousness, design repertoire, cultural acuity and systemic prowess to imagine Integral City 2.0 designs? I propose a likely candidate would be Architect, Mark DeKay to lead us with the wisdom of Integral Sustainable Design. In [...]
Cities can do nothing to promote economic development, according to Mario Polese. But are the development patterns he enumerates missing the patterns of development of human culture and consciousness? Polese traces the modern to post-modern fads that have influenced community economic development (CED) at the city scale from the 1960's to early 2000's: strategic industries, industrial complexes, [...]
Integral City Developers #occupy the positive 1% who generate diversity to overcome the blockages and barriers in city systems. They #occupy development opportunities grand enough to attract others but where the economic risk is designed to reward purpose, priority, profit, people and planet. Developers #occupy the Integral City Voice with visions, inspiring pictures and projects that call forth [...]
At Experience Integral's Embody Integral Sustainability Conference convenor Anouk Brack very wisely used a Theory U design for the five day discovery process. Theory U process is based on the work of Otto Scharmer and is a multi-stage experience that enables a group to traverse the territory from initiation, to sensing, to presencing, to crystallizing to prototyping. and co-creating. I [...]
Go listen to Geoffrey West - there he is again! My friends and colleagues say go to hear his talk on Why Cities Keep Growing. When more than three people recommend a site to me, then I sit up and take notice. In this case I am happy to say that I followed the link [...]
In the Human Hive, we need truth, beauty and goodness to sustain our capacities and encourage creative impulses. It is not always easy to find them in cities designed from pre-modern, modern and post-modern design principles. Someone who is committed to changing that is Mark Dekay, Director of Graduate Studies, School of Architecture, University of [...]