Project “Neischmelz”

in Dudelange

Jürgen Staadt

Fonds pour le développement du logement et de l’habitat

Approaches to cope with wicked

problems in the development of a

sustainable quarter

EUKN Policy Lab

25 June 2013 I Luxembourg I Cercle Cité

RSM, Erasmus University, Rotterdam

Contents:

1. The challenges that lie ahead

2. Methodological approach

3. Analysis of the cognitive map

4. Workshops provide Soft Systems Methodology model

5. Conclusion and outlook

EUKN Policy Lab

25 June 2013 I Luxembourg I Cercle Cité

1. The challenges that lie ahead

Complex problems and threats such as environmental degradation,

global warming, social injustice … (Magala, 2012)

take part in the development of sustainable urban projects - HOWEVER

How can these issues be managed if we are confronted with wicked rather

than tame problems (e.g. social complexity in the political process)?

Society will not benefit from the full potential and the possibilities of

sustainable urban projects, if we do not learn to cope with wickedness and

its consequences within the development process.

The aim of this presentation is to show how other methods could be used

to tackle wickedness in urban development.

(Rittel & Webber, 1973)

1. The challenges that lie ahead

Wicked problems in the development of a sustainable quarter

Observations in the project “NEISCHMELZ” initiated the quest for methods

and methodologies that could be used in approaching wickedness.

• Stakeholders have radically different world views / perspectives

• Uncertainty, ambiguity and resistance to change

• Political, economic and cultural constraints

Our first question was:

What is sustainable development in urban and regional planning?

Participants in the four workshops:

• President of the Fonds du Logement

• Two members of the Housing Ministry

• Two members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

• Collaborator of the Fonds du Logement (acting as facilitator)

(Horn & Weber, 2007)

2. Methodological approach

The workshops were undertaken between January and June 2011 based on

the Oval Mapping Technique (Rosenhead & Mingers, 2001).

The results of each workshop were photographed and summarised in a

report which contained an overall picture of the map as well as the

different clusters elaborated so far.

Ideas, values and assumptions are collected on ovals which are grouped or

clustered and then organised in a hierarchical manner. Affiliations between

ideas and clusters are constantly checked and adapted.

2. Methodological approach

Having acquired the software “Decision Explorer”, from the third workshop

on, we had the possibility to further elaborate the map by means of

computer (278 statements or concepts).

3. Analysis of the cognitive map

The results were further analysed by carrying out a central analysis which

calculates a score to determine how central a concept is in the model.

In order to clearly identify the busiest concepts, the computer map was

first analysed by carrying out a domain analysis (Reynolds & Holwell, 2010)

which elaborates potential key issues by calculating the ingoing and

outgoing links.

4. Workshops provide Soft Systems Methodology model

A government-owned system, operating within political and

economic constraints, to promote sustainable development

in building, city and regional planning activities, by proposing

a basic model for strategic implementation in public sector

organisations, so as to provide future generations with the

same conditions as their predecessors.

The key issues analysed were used for the elaboration of a soft systems

methodology model which provides a basis for questioning the current

design and implementation processes in Luxembourg.

Root definition:

The model should support public and semi-public entities with a means to

question their strategies with regard to sustainable development.

4. Workshops provide Soft Systems Methodology model

Each item can be regarded as a system with further subsystems which can

be chosen if considered relevant (Checkland & Scholes, 1990).

5. Conclusion and outlook

We found that sustainable development in urban and regional planning is

understood, judged, valued and used in different ways. This requires the

use of problem structuring methods and methodologies, without this

necessarily replacing problem solving methods.

It is important that government understands and accepts that there are no

quick fixes regarding wicked problems.

The management of wicked problems is in need of holistic rather than

linear thinking.

We recommend that qualitative approaches in managing wicked problems

in urban, regional and organisational development should be further

fostered.

Systems thinking adds to scientific reductionism. It is an attempt to keep

much of the tradition but to supplement it by tackling complex problems

through thinking in wholes.

Thank you very much

for your attention

Project “Neischmelz”

in Dudelange

EUKN Policy Lab

25 June 2013 I Luxembourg I Cercle Cité

Jürgen Staadt

Fonds pour le développement du logement et de l’habitat

RSM, Erasmus University, Rotterdam