Dao Xiang Sustainable Cities Report

Practical mechanisms for collaboration which will create ground breaking action on the social challenges facing London and Shanghai

Dao Xiang Venture 2012

Venture

Table of Contents

1. Executive summary 2

a. Background 2

b. Dao Xiang Objectives 2

2. About the Challenge 5

a. The Process: 5

i. Phase I: Immersion in the Issue 7

ii. Phase II: Developing the Right Skills and Tools to Foster Innovation 8

iii. Phase III: Developing Solutions 8

3. Changing behaviours and creating awareness 11

a. The need 11

b. New Idea/Model summary 15

i. Idea 1: Commuter Communities 15

ii. Idea 2: Schools for the future 15

iii. Idea 3: Sub-urbanisation 15

iv. Idea 4: The Big Green Smile 16

4. Prototype Proposals 18

5. Innovation & benefits 32

a. Commuter Communities 32

b. Schools for the Future 32

c. Sub-urbanisation 34

d. The Big Green Smile 34

6. Next Steps 36

7. Conclusions 40

8. Appendices 42

a. Appendix 1 – Participant List 44

b. Appendix 2 - Twitter Feed #daoxiang (sample of various tweets during Dao Xiang) 46

1

1. Executive summary

a. BackgroundThe first Dao Xiang Venture took place in London from 2 – 5 July 2012, bringing together a group of highly talented leaders from London and Shanghai. Dao Xiang was supported by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and the Mayor of Shanghai, Han Zheng. The Venture would not have been a success without the key support and efforts of its sponsors:

PricewaterhouseCoopers •UBM•GlaxoSmithKline •Cisco•

Dao Xiang is a Venture that brings together leaders and entrepreneurs from a diversity of backgrounds to discuss the political, economic, environmental and social challenges faced commonly by London and Shanghai. Dao Xiang acts as a platform through which the participants from both cities can lend their experience and expertise to developing practical approaches and solutions to global and local challenges while creating and expanding partnerships.

Dao Xiang is independent of the governments of the UK and China, although supported by them, with Mayor of London Boris Johnson acting as Chair of its Advisory Group. The initiative is being run by Common Purpose, an independent, international leadership organisation, who are designing and delivering the events and running the campaign.

Dao Xiang has an independent Advisory Group, drawn from senior leaders from across both the UK and China, who provide strategic support and act as ambassadors for the initiative.

b. Dao Xiang ObjectivesTo create a new, dynamic, self-•sustaining network of young leaders from London and Shanghai to broaden and strengthen the relationship between the UK and China for the long term Through discussion of shared •challenges, to demystify and deepen understanding of each others’ perspectives, assumptions, systems and interestsTo generate recommendations and •solutions to common challenges.

This report presents the findings and ideas of the first Dao Xiang participant group. The report’s purpose is to provide a fresh perspective from a collection of diverse individuals from the two countries on how to take steps towards tackling the daunting challenge of finding new ways of making cites sustainable and resilient.

This report will pull together the most relevant recommendations for change from the various working groups involved.

Challenge recommendations

London-Shanghai relationship outcomes

Personal development Dao Xiang Outcomes

3

2. About the Challenge

The Challenge: Creating Sustainable Cities

“With rapidly rising urbanisation (more than 50% of people now live in cities, expected to rise to 70% by 2050), we need to find new ways of making cites sustainable and resilient. What practical mechanisms for collaboration could be established that would allow ground breaking action on the social challenges facing London and Shanghai?”

a. The Process: Dao Xiang followed a four stage process to bring the group together and enable them to tackle the challenge at hand:

Using the challenge of creating more resilient and sustainable cities as the framework, the group explored the different elements that need to come together to enable society to build new models to tackle this challenge.

The four days in London were spent in an intensive series of exercises, interventions, off-site immersion visits and briefings from expert advisers, with suitable time for reflection. The group were encouraged to approach the challenge and innovation creatively and a number of these sessions helped to unlock and channel this creativity.

Building the group Understanding innovation

Immersion Prototyping – putting it into practice

5


Throughout the week together, the group explored themes of leadership, innovation and making change happen through collaboration among various stakeholders and stakeholder groups. The speakers and site visits emphasised the need for practical mechanisms for collaboration across society that would address local issues such as unemployed youth and care for the elderly, while also working with these sections of society to have a better understanding of the need for sustainability and the benefits that sustainable practices can bring to their communities. The group felt that another key part of that challenge was to reach beyond the various organisations that were already “converted” and concerned about sustainability and get other sectors of society more engaged.

The group heard from a number of experts in the field including:

Ian Short, Chief Executive, Institute •for SustainabilityPeter Head, C.B.E, FREng, FRSA, •Executive Chair, The Ecological Sequestration TrustSamantha Heath, Chief Executive •Officer, London Sustainability ExchangeMark Bradbury, Head of Development •Asset Transfer, London Thames GatewaySue Riddlestone, Executive Director •& Co-Founder of BioRegional, Co-Director of One Planet & MD of BioRegional MiniMills Ltd.

6


Key elements of the week were the immersion visits to the following institutions and organisations to explore issues around innovation, sustainability and social impact:

Good Homes Alliance•Institute for Sustainability •Liverpool in London •London Legacy Development •CorporationThe Useful Simple Trust •

Following immersion into the issues and challenges, the group was split into smaller workgroups and were asked to model prototypes for new systems for sustainable cities in London and Shanghai.

Each group presented their models to a panel of experts on the final afternoon of the event:

John Alker, Director of Policy & •Communication, UKGBCMartin Charter, Director, The Centre for •Sustainable Design Samantha Heath, Chief Executive Officer, •London Sustainability Exchange

i. Phase I: Immersion in the IssueSpeakers were encouraged to share their views on the scope and scale of the challenge, without looking at providing solutions themselves. They were encouraged to guide the group around the key elements that needed to be addressed if looking to truly tackle this challenge, encouraging participants to focus on certain areas that would be crucial to any new prototype. Speakers provided practical experience and real life examples that addressed:

The literal meaning of the challenge •Why it is such an important and urgent •challengeWhat opportunities does collaboration •open up for businesses looking in this direction? What are the practical questions this •cross-sector, cross-country group will need to explore? What are the key social challenges they •will need to bear in mind?What are the key obstacles that will •need to be overcome to allow for ground breaking action on these social challenges facing both cities?

7


ii. Phase II: Developing the Right Skills and Tools to Foster InnovationThe group was encouraged to learn about the process of creativity and innovation, exploring areas that both encourage and hinder new thinking. These skills and tools would then be essential to the development of ideas for creating more resilient and sustainable cities. Some of the concepts that were discussed and promoted were:

The Processes of Learning•The importance of “sensing the field”•Learning from the heart and •suspending the Voice of JudgementThe Stages of Innovation (co-initiating, •observing, pre-sensing, co-creating and institutionalising)Proto-typing not Piloting•

iii. Phase III: Developing SolutionsIn the last phase the group used the knowledge and tools developed over the previous four days, along with their own varied backgrounds and expertise, to suggest prototypes for solutions to the challenge in question. Participants of the broke into smaller groups to formulate ideas about the most pivotal focus areas within the challenge. These ideas were shared with other groups and individuals voted for those that they felt were essential to formulating a new solution. Following the voting process four focus areas, or themes, were identified. Participants broke up into teams to develop more specific ideas and prototypes using the knowledge and skills developed over the course of the Venture. These themes are identified below:

8


Commuter Community

Schools for the Future

SustainableCities

The Big Green Smile

Sub-urbanisation

9

3. Changing behaviours and creating awareness

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3: Idea 4:

Commuter Communities Schools for the Future The Big Green Smile Sub-urbanisation

a. The need The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development have stated in their report ‘Trends in Urbanisation and Urban Policies in OECD Countries’ that rapid urbanisation is arguably the most complex and important socio-economic phenomenon of the 20th and 21st centuries. Generally understood as a shift from a predominantly rural to a predominantly urban society, it also represents major and irreversible changes in production and consumption and the way people interact with nature.

Cities are hubs for ideas, commerce, culture, science, productivity, social development and much more. At their best, cities have enabled people to advance socially and economically.However, maintaining cities in a way that continues to create jobs and prosperity while not straining land and resources is challenging. Common city challenges include congestion, lack of funds to provide basic services, a shortage of adequate housing and declining infrastructure.

The challenges cities face can be overcome in ways that allow them to continue to thrive and grow, while improving resource use and reducing pollution and poverty. This would help to create cities of opportunity, with access to basic services, energy, housing, and transportation.

The United Nations population division estimates, according to the UNESCO World Water Development Report 2012, that over 50% of the world’s population now resides in urban centres today, and this is estimated to grow to almost 60% by 2025 and 70% by 2050. The same report argues that cities themselves are responsible for nearly 80% of carbon emissions, which makes them a highly inefficient place to live. The Dao Xiang working group believe that built-in economies of scale present cities with a great opportunity to make a positive impact on sustainable initiatives. In order to achieve this, London and Shanghai need to bring about change in a variety of ways through a combination of regulatory change lifestyle change, and future technological innovations. Innovation will be crucial to this and can be applied to the development of smarter cities in a variety of ways - for example:

11


Developing a “Smarter City”

Smart governance

Smart mobility

Smart Cities

Network

Smart environment

Smart people

Smart living

Smart economy

12

This working group realises that behavioural change will be a critical factor in any of the suggested solutions to this global issue. A frequent barrier to consumers selecting more environmentally friendly options is a disconnect between those making the investment and those reaping the benefits. This is particularly true in London where, according to a Siemens’ Sustainable Urban Infrastructure report, only 22% of all London households are on water metering rather than paying a set annual fee. Nearly 8 in 10 households therefore have no financial incentive to reduce water consumption.

Cities face some key challenges which need to be addressed in any new solution:


Sustainable Cities

Social Sustainability

Political sustainability

Economic sustainability

Ecological sustainability

Sustainability for the built environment

13


Economic sustainability is understood as the capacity and ability of a practice to be able to put local/regional resources to productive use for the long-term benefit of the community, without damaging or depleting the natural resource base on which it depends and without increasing the city’s ecological footprint. This implies taking into consideration the full impact of the production cycle.

The sustainability of the built environment concerns the capacity of an intervention to enhance the liveability of buildings and urban infrastructures for city dwellers without damaging or disrupting the urban region environment. It also includes a concern for the efficiency of the built environment to support the local economy.

Political sustainability is concerned with the quality of governance systems guiding the relationship and actions of different actors among the previous four dimensions. Thereby, it implies the democratisation and participation of local civil society in all areas of decision-making.

Social sustainability refers to the fairness, inclusiveness and cultural adequacy of an intervention to promote equal rights over the natural, physical and economic capital that supports the livelihoods and lives of local communities, with particular emphasis on poor and traditionally marginalised groups. Cultural adequacy means, in this context, the extent to which a practice respects cultural heritage and cultural diversity.

Ecological sustainability pertains to the impact of urban production and consumption on the integrity and health of the city region and global carrying capacity. This demands the long term consideration of the relation between the state and dynamics of environmental resources and services and the demands exerted over them.

14


b. New Idea/Model summary

i. Idea 1: Commuter CommunitiesA platform and process for engagement to create commuter communities within cities by

encouraging behaviour change •with positive reward to support sustainability in Londondeveloping a voice and representation •for commuters who work in London but live outside the GLAdemonstrating the cumulative effect •of lots of small, positive changes on the bigger picture.One city has been chosen initially, •with the aim of expanding the concept into Shanghai at a later stage

ii. Idea 2: Schools for the future‘Schools for the Future’ proposes to create community centres in co-operation with local schools; showcasing the best sustainable practices such as renewable energy sources, water recycling, community gardens and many others at local schools that are open to the wider community as centres for learning and demonstration when school is not in session.

iii. Idea 3: Sub-urbanisation To design a suburb that is suitable for working and living sustainably, a place where companies and professional partnerships would like to re-locate to, and allows for people to enjoy a healthy work/life balance.

In this eco and sustainable suburb, the model would include:

Green housing apartments•Office parks above listed corporations •for greenery Easily accessible transport avenues e.g. •skyline, tube, well planned highway road, electronic vehiclesSchools that are well adept at using •different resourcesNew favourable ideas for businesses •eg e-banking, e-hospitals, e-shopping, farms (organic) and gardensTourism favourites eg theme parks•Space for future development•

15


iv. Idea 4: The Big Green SmileA game with a rewards system for encouraging sustainable behaviours from individuals, businesses, community groups and others.

It would work to encourage people to choose sustainable options for transport, buying locally produced food, reducing energy consumption and sharing resources and recycling.

Individuals, businesses and groups would collect ‘points’ for making sustainable choices and redeem then against products and events, or make donations. They would also be better informed about the impact of their choices on the environment, their community and the economy.

16

4. Prototype Proposals

Idea 1: Commuter Communities

Commuters are a large, untapped resource. Although a significant population of daytime London, they currently have little influence on decisions affecting the city. As a result commuters often feel disconnected and not a part of the city. This disconnect means they have little motivation to change behaviours.

However, commuters have the potential to effect ground breaking change within the city. The core aim of our proposal is to reconnect the commuter with London, giving them the opportunity to collaborate with large organisations. Ultimately this relationship can build a better commuting experience and make London a more sustainable place to work. Engaging with commuters is a huge challenge. How, where and when to engage with this community is crucial to the success of the proposal.

18


Percentage of workers by method of travel, London and rest of the UK, October-December, 2009, United Kingdom

Source: Labour Force Survey - Office for National Statistics 19


The engagement must be powerful and offer the opportunity to improve personal experiences as well as the wider London environment.

During the Venture the key insights were:

People believe they can’t save the world •by themselves, we need to make visible every action and how these add up.Proposals need to offer more than saving •the planet if they are to be successful and apply to the majority of people.The complexity of planning for the •future is becoming ever more apparent; we need to remain flexible and open-minded, working across disciplines to ensure we react to the future as it happens.

Commuters are already contributing to the sustainability of London through their use of public transport. There is, however, the opportunity to make a further impact on the transport system; cycling or walking part or all of their journey would reduce pressure on the rail network as well as improving personal health.

The following six reference points are sourced from Cycling UK: http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/2636/cycling/stats-uk/

Benefits of a Cycle Boom

1. Safety According to the Jacobsenís Growth Rule, if the amount of cycling doubles, the risk per cyclist falls by 34 percent. If cycling halves, the risk per cyclist increases by 52 percent.

2. Health Cycling at least twenty miles a week reduces the risk of heart disease to less than half that for non-cyclists who take no other exercise. 70% of women and 60% of men fail to take sufficient exercise (30mins walking per day). Obesity is forecast to rise.

3. Less Congestion Congestion costs the UK economy over £20bn a year. Cycling can play a role in limiting congestion.

20

http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/2636/cycling/stats-uk/

http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/2636/cycling/stats-uk/


4. Quickest Way to Get to WorkA 2004 survey by the Chartered Management Institute found that the most reliable way of getting to work is by bicycle.

5. Solution to rising oil pricesCycling typically saves users money.

6. Less PollutionResearch published in 1991 suggested that a tenfold increase in cycling from car use could save up to three quarters of a million tonnes of carbon monoxide, 100, 000 tonnes of nitrogen dioxide, and 16 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere.

Furthermore, an increase in cyclists and pedestrians would be a motivation to improve these local services. This provides further encouragement to participate in transport alternatives, creating a cycle of change that has the ultimate potential to reduce the number of cars in the city and improve the London environment as a whole.

This example of collective change could be applied to other behaviours - for example, where commuters buy their lunch could impact the food networks within London. By choosing to buy more local, sustainable food, commuters create a new market which stimulates a more resilient network of local producers. Collaboration could happen between commuters during their commute but also using social networks. Collaboration between the end user and larger organisations could either use the train network as the environment for engagement or as part of an incentive or reward for collaboration and action. For example, creating a ‘green’ oyster card which rewards sustainable behaviour.

21


Idea 2: Schools for the Future

Prototype model at right shows the following sustainable practices:

Renewable energy sources•Organic garden, garden boxes, •trees and other greeneryCycling encouraged•Water recycling, fish pond, •running stream and rain water collectionRecycling centre•

22


‘Schools for the Future’ proposes to create community centres in co-operation with local schools; showcasing the best sustainable practices at local schools that are open to the wider community as centres for learning and demonstration when school is not in session. The goal is to tap into local resources and talent, utilising what connections or businesses already exist in the community to transform local school campuses into models of sustainability. Local resources might include a local business or someone who works in renewable energy and can therefore negotiate the installation of solar panels, someone with extensive gardening experience who can help plan and plant an organic garden, set up rainwater harvesting or water recycling, or someone with knowledge of local recycling facilities etc.

The goal is for the centre to serve as a resource and a meeting place for the community, where programmes for skills training, literacy, arts, sports, etc. can be held. A wide variety of events could be hosted at these community centres, including but not limited to: training

seminars by invited professionals from outside the communities or by local teachers or neighbourhood residents; open use of library and computer facilities; fitness classes and open use of sports facilities; gardening instruction making use of campus gardens and technology; flea markets to encourage re-use and workshops that demonstrate how to repair or re-make unwanted objects; showcasing and learning about the sustainable technologies and practices being used by the school campus; etc.

In order for the wider local community to feel ownership, and to be more likely to learn about sustainability from these centres, the design and establishment should be a multi-stakeholder participatory process that includes community members from the very beginning. The centre’s establishment will need to involve people from the community who desire skills training (as well as those who can provide it), people from the community who would like to come together for group programmes in the arts or for sports, as well as the teachers, students

23


and parents already involved in such programmes within the school. The school community benefits from greater access and interaction with skilled members of the local community, as well as by having a more sustainable school campus.

In the establishment of community centres in the China context, it will be important to involve local government officials in order to lend legitimacy to the process. It will be important in the early stages to get local leaders involved, such as local businesspeople and school administrators. These leaders, who are seen as having authority or carrying respect within the community, will encourage others to join by demonstrating their enthusiasm for the project.

Governance of the community centre would have to be in close co-operation with the school administration, ideally including enthusiastic volunteers with key roles in the school who would also have leadership roles at the centre. Either the schools would have to provide facilities staff to work on weekends, managing community access to the campus, or the community centre would have to have facilities volunteers who would be known and trusted by the school to oversee use of the school facilities by the community. The community centre would need a governance structure, such as a Board of Directors, able to manage fundraising, financial accounts, public relations and activities organisation. The more open and transparent they are to the community, the better, with representatives from all sectors of the community including students, parents, teachers, and community members not related to the school.

24


Idea 3: Sub-urbanisation

This model looks to develop an integrated area that looks to be sustainable with multi-functionality for working, living and developing.

In this eco and sustainable suburb, the model would include:

Green housing apartments•Office parks above listed corporations •for greenery Easily accessible transport avenues eg •skyline, tube, well planned highway road, electronic vehiclesSchools that are well adept at using •different recoursesNew favourable ideas for businesses •eg e-banking, e-hospitals, e-shopping, farms (organic) and gardensTourism favourites eg theme park•Space for future development.•

26


The graph below demonstrates the key indicators for eco-cities in China, which this proposal highlights.

Source: http://china.lbl.gov/sites/china.lbl.gov/files/China_Eco-Cities_Indicator_Systems.pdf 27

http://china.lbl.gov/sites/china.lbl.gov/files/China_Eco-Cities_Indicator_Systems.pdf


This prototype is looking to create real behaviour change by developing an urban city in suburban Shanghai. This will then develop an online living community that will lead to more sustainable practices:

E-housing – green buildings with •sustainable material that is energy savingE-home – intelligent in home •appliances, management security controlsE-hospitals – diagnosis and treatment•E-schools and education – lots of •online learningE-entertaining – sharing with copyright •licensed resources.

The main aim is to find an existing park/high tech park in Shanghai in order to implement these concepts at a scalable level.

The working group realises that this idea will rely on government relationships in Shanghai – particularly when looking to develop relationships with urban planning and development committees.

28


Idea 4: The Big Green Smile

A rewards system based game for encouraging sustainable behaviours by individuals, businesses, community groups and others.

It would endeavour to encourage people to choose sustainable options in terms of transport, buying locally produced food, reducing energy consumption and sharing resources and recycling.

Individuals, businesses and groups would collect ‘points’ for making sustainable choices and redeem then against products, events, or make donations. They would also be better informed about the impact of their choices on the environment, their community and the economy. There have been similar ideas but the nuances of our idea may be different and the ideas that exist have not yet come to fruition.

29


The graph listed below highlights the negative contribution to overall growth in the UK during 2012 for specific industries.

Source: Office for National Statistics 30


This data actually provides a major opportunity for this proposal. As revenue within these areas is currently falling, organisations within these industries will be more open to discussion on developing rewards based schemes for consumers, which would allow them to generate more of an income stream and allow consumers to contribute back to GDP in the UK.

This model focuses on changing consumer behaviours, looking specifically at how people think and engage with local communities. It is flexible from a macro to a micro level. This aims to determine what resonates with consumers in terms of their commercial choices. This model builds a token based system where rewards are made for living within sustainable means.

This could be as simple as giving a token when paying to use a Barclays Bike, or not taking a plastic bag while shopping. This aims to create a feeling of excitement and can be adapted to whatever users would like the system to look like.

There are similar schemes in operation and for this to work effectively there is a need to piggyback on existing schemes, using local authorities and local businesses. As with any points system there would have to be a goal element attached, such as points gained helping to purchase computers for schools. It can be tailored to individuals or households.

This model would begin with a single street or a local community within London.

31

5. Innovation & benefits

a. Commuter Communities The collaboration is a revolutionary approach to changing behaviours within the city. Engaging with the commuter community of London, a significant proportion of the city’s population, recognition of ownership can be instigated - empowering them to make a real difference to their city. A small change by a few can become a catalyst for social behaviour change across the city.

The successful launch of this scheme relies on the support of local school administrators and their governing bodies, as well participation by local community members; while successful implementation will rely on continued enthusiasm and participation by a wide selection of the community who see and experience the benefits for their families and the community as a whole. The more people who participate and benefit, the more the centre will be able to grow and expand organically, playing a greater role in the community and including more and more members of the community. Initially, it may be the direct benefits in terms of

learning or resources that will bring more community members into the centre, as well as the sense of community.

However, by including sustainable technology as a key component, schools save energy and money, and then people learn from and adopt those technologies more and more, and the community benefits in the long-term by reducing its overall impact on the natural environment. This is how sustainable cities can be built from the community upwards.

b. Schools for the FutureAlthough sustainable school campuses exist, we are not aware of many examples in China and the UK where they are serving as demonstration sites for community learning, and none where they are serving as community centres; thus we believe we are presenting a new idea. The benefits of this model are not only environmental in that local schools will use less energy, produce less waste and provide more green space, but also social. The social benefits include the building of trust and a stronger sense of community,

32


a greater sense of local ownership, utilisation of local resources and talent, and providing a space and encouraging people to come together to find local solutions to social problems. In terms of educating about sustainability, the school will be educating the entire family, not just the young. The school becomes a new platform for families to engage with issues of sustainability, building more resilient and connected communities.

The centre thus becomes a ‘new space for community’. Students at the schools will become the most knowledgeable about the sustainable technologies being put to use and their benefits, so the young people become the educators and proponents of sustainable practices in the community. At the same time, the students will learn from existing talent in the community, such as those with rich gardening experience who come forward to share their knowledge at the school garden.

We believe that trialling a prototype of this proposal would satisfy the ‘7Rs’ principles (Relevance, Revolutionary, Rapid, Rough, Right, Relationally and Replicable) as follows:

Relevance – It is relevant for schools, •as places of learning, to embrace new ideas and to reflect on their role in communities. Schools are also a natural gathering place in communities, bringing together families, young people, parents and grandparents.Revolutionary – Utilising school space •to host community centres will be a completely new idea to schools in China, as well as for most areas of the UK.Rapid – Since schools already exist •in every community, as centres of learning that should be open to new ideas, they can be approached quickly. Rough – In terms of scale, the •community level is small enough to make things happen, keeping it localised.

33


Right – Young people bring •communities together, and they are the ones who will benefit in the future from greater sustainability today; thus building on the point in local communities that focus on our youth is the right place to start. Relationally – Making use of local •resources saves money, as will the adaption of sustainable technologies on the school campus. Then, not only does the school benefit, but other members of the community learn how to make use of and adapt these technologies in their homes and businesses, saving money and conserving resources. Replicable – Since most communities •have a school, the model can be adapted.

c. Sub-urbanisationBuilding a new sub-urban community will have enormous benefits for sustainability in the city landscape. Some key areas where innovation can be implemented are as follows and these are also key benefits to an offering such as this:

High quality developments•Low energy consumption •Energy efficient – solar and wind •Waste recycling•Water efficiency•Transport – eco-friendly•

d. The Big Green Smile Encourages experimentation, learning, •and the gathering of information.Allows credit for innovation over and •above better sustainability results.Provides flexibility: manufacturers may •improve performance wherever it is easiest (based on consumer demand for more sustainable products), cheapest and fastest for them to do so.

34

6. Next Steps

a. Commuter CommunitiesBy identifying the key behaviour changes, implementing just one change at a time, we can test the prototype without investing too much time and money. The prototype could be tested using just a small amount of commuters, for example from one tube line or all commuters that use Paddington station, before it is scaled up across the whole London network and more changes are implemented. Positive behavioural change requires:

knowledge•ability to perform the behaviour•a desire to make the change•the change to be socially acceptable.•

The research should clearly set out how we enable this to happen. Engaging with both TFL and national rail operators such as First Choice to create an integrated proposal and begin to engage with community groups to build a commuter voice is crucial. We also need to engage with social media to integrate this new relationship into everyday life. Furthermore, working with existing projects/campaigns that would benefit from the proposal would give the project the strength to grow. This prototype acts an example to other urban systems, showing how we can collaborate from the top down and bottom up to give momentum to the development of our cities.

36

6. Next Steps

b. Schools for the futureThis group have decided that the next steps would entail research and then finding partners and support to prototype the whole model at one school in London and one in Shanghai.

First, they intend to do further •research into best practices in sustainable school campuses and in community centres, and gather these stories to create a learning resource for future prototypes and “schools for the future.” They will also get in touch with organisations that support sustainable ideas and technology, as well as those that support community centres. There are programmes, such as 10:10’s Solar Schools, that will have important lessons from which we can learn as well.Next, connect other schools to these •locations and plan exchange visits to current examples to learn from them. For example, a summer camp programme could be developed to send student and teacher representatives to spend an extended

period of time both at sustainable school campuses and at community centres to learn about the successes and failures, best practices and issues faced. Such exchange visits will build interest and knowledge on the part of potential participating schools.Beginning with step two above, •outside funding will be required, and the group hopes to gain support from the Education Board of Shanghai and the Department of Education in the UK; as well as any groups that currently are involved in student exchanges between Shanghai and the UK. They would also need support from some of the other organisations contacted in step one. Their medium to long-term goal is to •prototype the whole model, a school with a campus that is very sustainable/eco-friendly and that also serves as a community centre, at one location in London and one in Shanghai.

37

6. Next Steps

c. Sub-urbanisation The group are currently exploring if particular aspects of this model are currently taking place in other parts of the world which they can pool together for case study purposes. It would need to be developed as a trial to see what people think of the concept, with the overall aim of organic development of satellite cities.

The group would be keen to work with an area that they know already, which is currently under review with the possibility of trialling this prototype by retro-fitting a specific area of a city as a starting block. A main area of focus for this initiative will be to look at energy and waste processes.

d. The Green Big Smile The next step for this group is to identify the various elements for which consumers can gain and spend points. They are also looking at avenues to see if the points can be pooled into a community structure to see if there is viability there. The group will also pilot in disadvantaged areas to see if there is a demand for this particular scheme.

The main goal is, eventually to create a counter currency that can be used for common tender.

38

7. Conclusions

The four day Venture, supported by the Mayors of London and Shanghai, brought together 30 high achieving leaders from all sectors to explore how we can make our cities more sustainable and resilient with the increase in urbanisation.

Participants were engaged in the innovation process and their creative engagement resulted in the four key models outlined in this report:

Commuter Communities•Schools for the Future•The Big Green Smile•Sub-urbanisation •

There is scope to further develop aspects of the information presented in this report and further contribute to the growing need of addressing sustainability issues within cities.

The Dao Xiang Venture continues to grow and energise relations between London and Shanghai, with participants continuing to gather and explore more data on this challenge.

40

8. Appendices

42

a. Appendix 1 – Participant List

Dao Xiang, London 2012

Rebecca Collings Deputy Director, Temporary Migration UK Border Agency

Jo Fox International Development Consultant

Athena Gong General Manager UBM China

Temujen Gunawardena Founder Edventure Frome

Joanna Hansford Architectural Assistant Stonewood Design

Charlotte Hansford Educational Teacher Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust.

Robin Hawkes Head of Planning National Theatre

Erica Helms Founder & Managing Director Linking China

Clara Lu HR Director PricewaterhouseCoopers

Alastair Mackenzie Director Limina

Leadership and Management Adviser Exemplas Ltd

Robbie Marwick Strategy Catalyst Power of Youth

Adrian Newton Group Director UBM Plc

Jonathan Ni Vice General Manager Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo Int. Exhibition Co., Ltd.

Jane Papafio Manager of Outreach and Resettlement Service in Croydon

Thamesreach

44

a. Appendix 1 – Participant List

Roxanne Pershud Digital and Social Enterprise Coach @Commutiny

Qilan Shen Chief Editor of Arts and Director of International Projects of Shanghai Insight Media

Shanghai Insight Media

Zou Shu Development Manager Constructing Futures Ltd

Mujibelo Siamuwele Architectural Technician Chayka

Robin Smith Chief Superintendant ACPO

Daniel Stanley CEO Small Axe Communications

Yan Sun First Secretary Cultural Office of Chinese Embassy in UK

Charlotte Taylor Policy Official UK Border Agency, Home Office

Emilie Wang International Arts Co-ordinator Southbank Centre

Angell Xi Asia Pacific Counsel GE Intelligent Platforms

Anne Zhang Senior Writer / London Correspondent CBNweekly

Anna Zhou Manager of Arts Education Shanghai Culture Square

45

b. Appendix 2

Twitter Feed #daoxiang (sample of various tweets during Dao Xiang)

#DaoXiang challenge: With rapidly increasing urbanisation how can we collaborate to address the social challenges London & Shanghai face?02-Jul-12 08:05

Big week of internation cross-cultural #leadership. I’m hoping to tweet lots from #DaoXiang thanks to @CommonPurpose and @mariairurita02-Jul-12 08:19

@commutiny ooh, my friend @AdrianNewton is doing the #DaoXiang challenge. Interviewed me the other day about it. what’s your interest?02-Jul-12 08:33

@commutiny looking forward to your #daoxiang tweets!02-Jul-12 08:35

#daoxiang let’s get it started #leadership02-Jul-12 09:11

More leadership objects: A teething ring, runner beans (painted lady variety), disposable chopsticks, a perfume bottle, a WarHorse #DaoXiang02-Jul-12 09:19

Only 10.30 we’ve glimpsed 26 perspectives on leadership; fascinating range of abstract, physical, professional & personal objects #DaoXiang02-Jul-12 09:39

26 very interesting and varied individuals from UK and China. Looking forward to an engaging 4 days #daoxiang02-Jul-12 10:01

If you build up a habit of not challenging things that are not OK you risk missing weak signals of things going wrong #DaoXiang #leadership02-Jul-12 12:24

Being mindful of the ‘rules of engagement’ supports our ability to deal with dissensus #leadership #DaoXiang02-Jul-12 12:32

#daoxiang redesigning while attending to the presencing!02-Jul-12 12:49

Neurocardiology: The Brain in the Heart by @madure http://t.co/jblcxLTS < links to #leadership lessons being shared at #DaoXiang02-Jul-12 13:12

46

b. Appendix 2

Sir Ken Robinson’s learning revolution, ecucating the heart and mind http://t.co/BRw5syOM #leadership #DaoXiang02-Jul-12 13:15

Learning about “Presencing emerging #futures” http://t.co/1nrV2NvL < More in this interview with Otto Scharmer from @MITloan #DaoXiang02-Jul-12 13:34

We don’t have 5 planets to live on. Just one. Here’s how we can do that via @OnePlanetLivinghttp://t.co/6SjNOtAm #DaoXiang #GrowUp02-Jul-12 15:21

@commutiny it signified two things; appreciation that we a part of a larger entity and the global nature of relationships #DaoXiang03-Jul-12 07:23

Thinking about #London-on-Sea: the future of a city in decay via @Telegraph http://t.co/G24bQgSX #DaoXiang03-Jul-12 09:24

Visual note taking by Temujen Gunawardena at @CommonPurpose #DaoXiang venture http://t.co/liAFPIIB 03-Jul-12 10:30

Q&A with “Eco-cities guru” @PeterHeadCBE of The Ecological Sequestration Trust via @insidehousinghttp://t.co/IeLl1QUj #DaoXiang03-Jul-12 10:43

@commutiny @insidehousing #DaoXiang it was a great pleasure to meet and talk about the Collaboratory idea like the Hub in London but bigger03-Jul-12 12:20

RT @commutiny: Extract from “Collaborate or Perish”: Ten ways small NGOs can #collaboratehttp://t.co/1abaqLM7 < thanks to @ehapp #DaoXiang03-Jul-12 14:15

Listening to @bradburymark’s on how local authorities do, can and should manage waste, energy and community development together #DaoXiang04-Jul-12 09:14

Other key informants for #DaoXiang include http://t.co/Qc5QKPdq http://t.co/rIa5IJLH @LiverpoolLondon@Good_Homes and http://t.co/UmbmTB9M 04-Jul-12 09:47

#daoxiang We are hearing that there’s more than one right answer. How does that work when we need to move forward with decision?04-Jul-12 10:39

#daoxiang the London sustainable industries park is truly amazing. Check it out http://t.co/DpXyHMdn 04-Jul-12 10:48

Future Proofing Cities Toolkit via @ResilientCity http://t.co/gybaKrok Recommended at #DaoXiang04-Jul-12 14:58

RT @gigaom: A startup emerges to help time shift #energy use http://t.co/HOuobtnl #DaoXiang05-Jul-12 07:40

MT @gigaom: @derrickharris looks at how #bigdata can foster innovation & prevent population collapsehttp://t.co/4n9qD8mP #DaoXiang #cities05-Jul-12 07:42

#sustainable cities If the winning method is putting yourself in the mind of the audience why are we not all doing it #daoxiang05-Jul-12 11:16

About Common Purpose Common Purpose is an independent international leadership development organisation. We run courses that give people from the private, public and not-for-profit sector the inspiration, skills and connections to become better leaders both at work and in society.

Common Purpose helps people, organisations, cities and regions to succeed, by broadening the horizons of their leaders and developing their ability to work together and lead complex change.

Common Purpose was founded by Julia Middleton in 1989 and currently delivers leadership development opportunities in over 46 cities across 18 countries, including: Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, MENA, South Africa, Turkey and the UK.

commonpurpose.org @CommonPurpose

commonpurpose.org/dao-xiang

www.commonpurpose.org

www.commonpurpose.org/dishaa

Dao Xiang Sustainable Cities Report

Documents

Transcript of Dao Xiang Sustainable Cities Report