Human Needs and Sustainable Cities: Understanding Systems Gwendolyn Hallsmith City of Montpelier.
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Human Needs and Sustainable Human Needs and Sustainable Cities: Cities: Understanding Systems Understanding Systems Gwendolyn Gwendolyn Hallsmith Hallsmith City of City of Montpelier Montpelier
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Transcript of Human Needs and Sustainable Cities: Understanding Systems Gwendolyn Hallsmith City of Montpelier.
Human Needs and Sustainable Cities: Human Needs and Sustainable Cities:
Understanding SystemsUnderstanding Systems
Gwendolyn HallsmithGwendolyn Hallsmith
City of MontpelierCity of Montpelier
What is a system?What is a system?
Behavior Over Time
Feedback
Stocks and FlowsStocks and Flows
Water flows in
Water flows out
Stories, Diagrams, and Stories, Diagrams, and LeverageLeverage Archetype Stories illustrate
patterns of behavior
Diagrams help describe the underlying system
dynamics
Leverage points demonstrate effective interventions
ChangeChange
DescribeDescribe
UnderstandUnderstand
archetypical behaviorsarchetypical behaviors
patterns of feedback and response
clues to leverage points
cyclical/holistic cause and effect
feedback loopsfeedback loops
A B
BA
+
0
Linear Behavior Over TimeLinear Behavior Over Time
Per Capita and Average Water Per Capita and Average Water Consumption: CalgaryConsumption: Calgary
reinforcing loopsreinforcing loops
Number ofparents
Number ofoffspring
R
Popul
atio
n gr
owth
Time
Tota
l Pop
ulat
ion
+
+
Exponential BehaviorExponential Behavior
balancing loopsbalancing loops
0
+
BA B
Body T
em
peratu
re
Time
Desired temperature
Goal-Seeking BehaviorGoal-Seeking Behavior
Male & Female Life ExpectancyMale & Female Life Expectancyin Albertain Alberta
Exponential/Goal-SeekingExponential/Goal-Seeking
Glacial Water Supplies
intelligence paysintelligence pays
High Quality Education
Skilled Workers High Wages
More money to pay taxes
More Taxes CollectedImproved Programs
+
+
+
+
+
+
RLow Quality Education
Workers with Low Skills Low Wages
Less Money to Pay Taxes
Fewer Taxes CollectedNo New Programs
+
+
+
+
+
+
R
strategic democracystrategic democracy
HeavyWorkload
Late Meetings
Bad Decisions
Bad Consequencesof Decisions
FewPeople Making
Decisions0
+
+ +
+
REasierWorkload
Productive Meetings
High Quality Decisions
Few Bad Consequencesof Decisions
CommitteeSystem forprocessing
information andmaking
preliminarydecisions
0
+
+ +
+
R
limits to growthlimits to growth
+ +
0+
R BBuilding PermitsSewer System
CapacityEconomic
GrowthNatural
ResourcesGoods and
Services
Wages & Profits
Savings &Investment
# of Businesses
+
0 +
++
+
RB
fixes that fail
Budget ProblemsCut Operating Budget/
Less Maintenance
Equipment Breaks Down
+
0+ /+/
B
R
worst firstworst firstleads to more
Money Spenton Worst Roads
Number ofDeteriorated Roads
Money Spent onMaintenance of
Good Roads
leads to lessleads to more
A ViciousCycle
shifting the burdenshifting the burden
0
0
+
/+/
+
0
RoadCongestion
BuildRoads
DevelopmentPotential
GrowthControl
B
B
R
Exercise
• In small groups, discuss which of these patterns of behavior you have observed in your city.
• Identify one trend that your group can describe in terms of the system that might be working behind it.
• Based on the systems thinking, what might be some ways you could change the system for the better?
