A Conversation With AI Regarding Urban Planning and Wicked Problems
I was recently selected by Katie Carroll, Head of Community at LinkedIn to contribute to an Artificial intelligence (AI) generated article regarding urban planning in a digital community campaign highlighting AI and human knowledge sharing. I was asked to add examples from my experience, in hopes in sharing a different opinion or expanding on ideas generated by AI.
The article was based on two questions answered by the AI, in which I was asked to expand on within a 750 word limit. The following are the two questions:
How do you adapt to feedback from urban design interventions? and;
How can you avoid common urban design mistakes in urban planning?
Urban design interventions encompass purposeful alterations to a city or neighborhood’s physical, social, or economic dimensions, with the overarching goal of enhancing its livability, sustainability, or allure. These interventions span a spectrum, ranging from modest initiatives like parklets, bike lanes, or street art to more extensive endeavors such as the implementation of new transit systems, mixed-use developments, or waterfront revitalization projects. However, it is essential to recognize that urban design interventions are not static or definitive in nature; they are inherently dynamic and iterative processes. As such, they demand continual vigilance, assessment, and adjustment, fueled by insights gleaned from a multitude of sources. So, how do you adapt to feedback from urban design interventions?
The AI generated some tips and examples to provide to readers.
Identify Your Goals and Indicators
The first guide that the AI generated revolves around the strategy of setting up your goals and indicators to track them. It wrote:
Before you implement any urban design intervention, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure your progress and impact. What are the specific objectives and outcomes of your intervention? What are the indicators and metrics that will show if you are meeting them or not? How will you collect and analyze the data? Having a well-defined framework of goals and indicators will help you set realistic expectations, communicate your vision, and evaluate your results.
After reading the provided strategy, I wanted to respond with a strategy I use myself for most of my problem solving, including issues outside of my profession. I wrote:
Begin with the End in Mind. While comprehending the current issue is vital, it’s equally crucial to envision your community’s future trajectory and how you aim to influence it. To guide your intervention’s objectives and vision effectively, it’s essential to take into account the past, present, and future perspectives.
When I talk about “Begin with the End in Mind,” I am not just thinking about immediate problem-solving; I am considering the long-term consequences of my actions. After all, most wicked problems lack clarity in both their aims and solutions, and have no stopping rule, so why not start at the end which will eventually be another starting point.
Engage With Stakeholders and Users
With a practice I hold dearly, I was excited to see that the AI generated the next topic of engagement. The AI wrote:
One of the most important sources of feedback for urban design interventions is the people who are directly or indirectly affected by them. These include the stakeholders, such as local authorities, community groups, businesses, or NGOs, and the users, such as residents, visitors, workers, or customers. You need to engage with them throughout the design and implementation process, not just at the beginning or the end. You can use various methods, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, workshops, or participatory design, to understand their needs, preferences, opinions, and experiences. You can also use social media, websites, newsletters, or events to inform them about your intervention and invite them to share their feedback.
Although I was pleased with the response, it was still a bit technical and in my opinion, lacked the most important tool of engagement — Trust. I responded:
Shared Visions. Building trust between experts and citizens is essential. Experts contribute scientific insights and technical support, while citizens provide invaluable local context. This mutual exchange of knowledge sharing benefits both parties. Experts gain knowledge in area-specific conditions while citizens gain knowledge and confidence in the development process, which all leads to more time/cost effective and beneficial processes. As experts, active engagement in the process is essential to foster a collaborative design approach.
The foundation of shared visions lies in the establishment of trust between experts and citizens. This trust is cultivated through open communication, transparency, and active engagement. Experts must actively listen to the concerns, needs, and aspirations of local citizens, acknowledging their expertise in their lived experiences.
Diving into the second question, urban planning is the process of designing and managing the physical, social, and economic aspects of a city or region. It involves balancing multiple goals and interests, such as sustainability, livability, accessibility, equity, and identity. However, urban planning is not an exact science, and it can be prone to mistakes that affect the quality and functionality of urban spaces. Thus, the second question was introduced in the AI generated article, in which we discussed some common urban design mistakes in urban planning and how you can avoid them.
Lack of Human Scale
This topic was generated by the AI, in which it wrote:
Creating spaces that are comfortable and attractive for people is a fundamental urban design principle. Human scale is the size, shape, and proportion of urban elements in relation to human perception and movement. A lack of human scale can make urban spaces feel alienating or unsafe. To ensure a pleasant experience for pedestrians, consider the height and width of buildings, streets, and sidewalks relative to the human eye level and walking speed. Additionally, the detail and texture of facades, materials, and landscaping should provide visual interest and variety. Lastly, land uses, functions, and people should be diverse and active to create a lively environment. If any of these aspects are too bland, busy, homogeneous, or heterogeneous it can lead to feelings of monotony, confusion, isolation, or conflict.
As I replied, adding on to the statement with a more perceptual approach:
While all 6 dimensions of urban design are interrelated in shaping public spaces, I believe that the perceptual dimension is indispensable in crafting a profound “sense of place” for communal experiences. While human scale holds significance in a technical manner, it is imperative to recognize the role of our capacity to engage with the other non-visual senses. Touch, smell, and sound sensations all contribute vital insights into the surrounding design, prompting us to stay present. Perception involves the gathering, organizing, and making sense of information about the environment gained by our senses. The idea of sensory perception and social cognition is very important in the development process as it fuels the “sense of place”.
Lack of Identity
This was the next topic that the AI introduced, as it wrote:
A third essential urban design principle is to create spaces that are distinctive and memorable for their character and culture. Identity, the expression and recognition of urban elements such as landmarks, symbols, and narratives, should be taken into account to avoid a feeling of generic anonymity. History and heritage should be preserved and celebrated for their significance and value, while context and contrast should be respected and enhanced for their relation and difference. Meaning and symbolism should be communicated and interpreted for their message and emotion. Too much erasure or imposition can create a sense of loss or falsity, while too much isolation or integration can create a mismatch or homogeneity. Too much vagueness or explicitness can lead to confusion or redundancy.
Adding the lacking context of relationships and translation, I responded:
I’ve always believed that every citizen holds an ideal city in their heart, and as experts, our duty is to help make those visions a reality by earning trust and providing tools. Embedding ourselves in the community is crucial, as it builds trust and provides valuable local context. Awareness and inclusivity are vital skills for urban planners, reminding stakeholders to consider the past, present, and future.
We must remember that cities are human creations, serving our societal needs and emotions. They are not just bricks and concrete but intricate narratives shaped by citizens’ dreams, aspirations, and actions.
The campaign itself had also included a “free prompt” in which human contributors had the opportunity to share insights that did not fit into any of the previous topics that the AI generated.
Knowledge Sharing
With freedom to expand on subject matters that touched briefly on provided topics, I wanted to expand on the importance of knowledge sharing. Consequently, this was the whole purpose of the campaign which was to provide human-based knowledge fueled by personal experience in a conversation with AI to create a digital community while including the future of AI. So I wrote:
In today’s digitally connected world, effective knowledge sharing is key to creating public spaces that truly serve citizens. Learning methods evolve with each generation, making it crucial to tailor your approach to your target audience by using diverse media like videos, interactive maps, photos, and diagrams alongside text.
As we tackle enduring challenges, known as “wicked problems,” planners and designers must fully understand these issues, openly share successful and unsuccessful solutions, and embrace the unique local context. This approach enables the development of inclusive urban strategies that cater to all stakeholders.
With AI becoming more embedded in our everyday societal experiences and the fear of AI taking over our social-life experiences and profession, us humans still (and will always) have the upper-hand. Included in the discussion, we are far more equipped with emotional intelligence, sensory perception, and ethical and moral reasoning that are all shaped by our life experiences. These experiences provide love, sorrow, joy, trauma, nostalgia etc. AI was never there when our ancestors, parents, and ourselves experienced these moments, so the AI responses will never quite truly comprehend our reasonings and perspectives. We are way too complex as humans, and although AI is a very beneficial tool that can solve complex issues, we created AI, just like we created out cities, and just like we created our issues. And I say we, as I believe we all influence each other even if we are not aware of it.
Humans create, so therefor we are wicked problems— and that’s ok, because as I mentioned, wicked problems don’t play fairly with the “stopping rule”. We are impossible to solve because of our complex and interconnected nature. Until next time, AI!
“Human nature, a labyrinth of complexity, is a tapestry woven from threads of contradictions, passions, and the ever-evolving quest to understand ourselves.”
PS — Contradictorily thanks for the sweet quote.
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