How to transition our city

1
How to transition our city

• Coordination
• Communication
• Organization

2
Transition the Internet

• What is Transition?
• Who is Transition?
• What is the Internet?
• Who is the Internet?

3
What is Transition?

• Climate change
• Peak oil
• It doesnt matter how many vegetables I grow in
  my garden if my neighbour doesnt have any.

4
The promised sustainable land
????????
Many different approaches will take us there
We, hopelessly lost (refugees from the future)

• There are many ways, but we must get there before
  the winter catches us!

5
Culture
6
Ecological sucession
Progressive sucession
Growth
Achieving equilibrium
Simple Low biomass Low biodiversity Grassland Vill
age
Complex High biomass High biodiversity Forest City
Reorganization
Dissolution
Retrogressive sucession
7
What is a city?

• A city is the habitat of modern humans
• Ecosystem functions/services
• Clean air
• Climate regulation
• Water
• Soil retention and formation
• Food
• Shelter
• Waste treatment
• Mobility
• Information

8
Strong and weak ties

• Weak ties
• Between every second week and every year
• Information
• Scale-free network
• Opportunities
• Single function
• Novelty
• Alternative roles
• Complex communication
• Social comparison
• Present best face
• Bridges

• Strong ties
• Every week
• Commitment
• Random network
• Assistance
• Multiple functions
• Stability
• Falls into roles
• Simple communication
• Seen as similar
• Honest
• Foundations

9
Communication networks

• Long chains cause distortion, slow transmission
• People with many links are best informed, giving
  them a privileged position
• People with many links spend a lot of time in
  communication
• Different networks are appropriate for different
  situations
• Respect how people choose to communicate, but
  think of the network

10
Random and scale-free networks
Chains are long Slow transmission of
information All nodes are similar Can easily
become disconnected if some nodes go
Chains are short Fast transmission of
information There are hubs (black) Is quite
resilient if nodes go, unless they are hubs 8020
rule 80 of links are done through 20 of nodes
(hubs)
11
The CEO and the receptionist
CEO
CEO
receptionist
receptionist
This is how the CEO sees the company
This is how the receptionist sees the company
12
Any hub is a power centre
CEO
receptionist
Purchasing manager
13
Magic numbers small groups

• 3 - The ideal number for a complex decision that
  cant be broken down into parts
• 5-9 The ideal number of members for a team.
• Choose even numbers if pairing is desirable
• Choose odd numbers if pairing isnt desirable
  (for example, if voting is frequent)
• 12 Limit number for a team. If a team gets
  bigger than this, break into two

14
Magic numbers big groups

• 25 (5x5) 50 (7x7) 80 (9x9) Minimum, ideal
  and maximum size for a technical team / terrorist
  organization / activist group
• 150-230 Dunbars number (maximum number of
  people a person can have a stable relationship
  with)
• 200x2004,000 Size of a market town
• 200x200x2008,000,000 Maximum size for an
  effective representative democracy?

15
Tipping point

• Once something has reached 0.5 of the
  population, almost everybody knows somebody who
  has it
• After that, change can happen very quickly!
• Its like untangling a knot

16
Why people turn a deaf ear?

• A good listener is
• Commited (if not, ask who?)
• Confident (if not, reassure)
• Questioning (if not, show evidence)
• Clued up (not necessary, but it helps)
• Chances are, somebody already knows the answer.
  YOU are the one that must find it.

17
Getting into somebody elses shoes

• Think about
• Time When did I begin to look at this issue?
  When will it, effectively, stop being an issue
  for me? How much time can I dedicate to this
  issue?
• Expectations What do I expect will happen? What
  do I want to happen? Who do I expect will deal
  with this issue? What do I think they will do?
• Distance How closely am I willing to examine the
  issue? How far away from me does it look? What
  else is aggregated with this issue as I see it?
• Understanding What can I see about this issue
  that nobody else does? What is my understanding
  of the issue? What data is my understanding based
  on?

18
Cycle of silence
Sunlight is the best disinfectant
19
The wheel of life
20
What makes a problem difficult

• Difficult to anticipate
• Difficult to see
• Difficult to act on
• Difficult to resolve

21
Rational (analytical) reasons for wrong actions

• Tragedy of the commons
• Conflict between the powerful and the people
• Conflict between present and future
• Apparent spontaneous resolution in the past
• Inertia of a social system adapted to a different
  situation

22
Irrational (emotional) reasons for wrong actions

• Clinging to the past
• Unpleasant associations
• Crowd psychology
• Wrong/irrelevant comparisons
• The wrong option is too attractive
• Habit, inertia

23
Prisoners dilemma
Cooperate
Selfish
Cooperate
Selfish

• In the short term, a quick gain is tempting
• In the long run, its best to be consistent

24
Double bind

• Disgrace
• (your child is very sick)
• Its known and accepted that the solution is
  difficult or impossible
• You are allowed to express freely any dilemmas
• Usual behaviour
• Sadness and anger
• Damage limitation
• Prevention of further harm

• Double bind
• (your child must go to war)
• Damned if you do, damned if you dont
• The environment doesnt even allow you to express
  the contradiction
• Usual behaviour
• Confusion and fear
• Erratic behaviour
• Denial and rationalization

25
Steps to change

• Establish your goal (Look at where you are going,
  not what you are trying to avoid!)
• Change your thoughts and feelings
• Interrupt the current loop
• Find a good alternative
• Practice the new loop
• See if it works

26
Steps to change in a large group of people

• Establish your goal (Look at where you are going,
  not what you are trying to avoid!)
• Create a guiding coalition
• Develop a new vision, with new thoughts and
  feelings
• Empower people to act and dont allow obstacles
  to block the vision
• Create short-term wins that show everybody how
  good the alternative is
• Dont declare victory too soon, and anchor
  changes firmly in the culture
• See if it works
• All along, communicate, communicate, communicate!

27
Grid Group

• Scientist
• Accept or avoid risk
• More study!
• Boss
• Reduce risk
• More centralization!
• Party goer
• Mitigate risk
• More collaboration!
• Artist
• Transfer risk
• More freedom!

scientist
boss
artist
party goer
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Grid Group
Clumsy solutions often make the best ones!
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Grid Group
Dissolution
Reorganization
Achieving equilibrium
Growth
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Structured approach the baby and the bathwater

• ?
• Clarity
• Long-term approach
• Good analysis
• Good decisions

• ?
• Slow response, bureaucracy
• Talking shop
• Not enough action
• Poor observations

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Unstructured approach the baby and the bathwater

• ?
• Flexibility
• Highly responsive
• Good at action
• Good observation

• ?
• Quick fixes only
• Messy, confusing, unclear
• Poor analysis
• Poor decisions

32
Group approach the baby and the bathwater

• ?
• Collaboration and coordination
• Big solutions
• Good decisions
• Good at action

• ?
• Can exclude some people
• Can threaten individual freedoms
• Poor analysis
• Poor observations (group think)

33
Individual approach the baby and the bathwater

• ?
• Anyone can do it
• Adapts to any specific needs
• Good observations
• Good analysis

• ?
• Only small scale solutions
• Little or no coordination
• Poor decisions
• Little action possible

34
The tyranny of structurelessness

• If a movement continues deliberately not to
  select who shall exercise power, it does not
  thereby abolish power. All it does is abdicate
  the right to demand that those who do exercise
  power and influence be responsible for it.
• Jo Freeman

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The balance of power
What they can
What you can
What they will
What you will
What they will and you care
What you will and they care
How much they care
How much you care
36
Building relationships and power
When there isnt a strong relationship, the
strongest side will be tempted to use it as a
lever
How much they care
How much you care
Stable agreement
How much they care
How much you care
When the relationship becomes stronger, its too
costly for both sides to allow using it as a
lever so agreements are reached to stabilize
it, turning it into a bridge
37
Ways of empowering people

• Building strength the weak side will care less
• Building relationships with the other side the
  strong side will care more
• Motivating people the weak side will do more
• Making connections with third parties the weak
  side can do more because they have access
• Learning the weak side can do more because they
  know how
• Formal recognition the weak side can do more
  because they are allowed

38
If you trust your systems, you dont have to
trust people

• The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak
• Any rule or agreement that is tempting to break
• Write it down
• Make it public

Cant believe it! My feet are killing me! Cant
even trust myself to take care of my feet!
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Decision-making
The group will accept an independent decision
Independent decision
Independent decision
Consultation
Full group decision
Full group decision
Consultation
Goals are shared by all the group
Problem is unstructured

• If independent decision is suitable but there
  isnt enough information, ask the relevant people
• If consultation is suitable but conflict between
  others is likely, consult separately

40
Types of decision-making

• Independent decision
• By a leader
• By an expert
• By a small committee
• Full group decision
• Consensus
• Majority vote
• Averaging

41
Karma is karma

• Consider the consequences
• In 10 minutes
• In 10 months
• In 10 years
• In 100 years
• Bread for today, hunger for tomorrow
• Spanish saying

42
How it all fits together
small steps, getting better all the time
Build
Design
The Plan
An activity shouldnt last more than 2 weeks
Support

• Its a marathon, not a sprint!

43
The Plan

• The bones
• Facts figures
• Technical detail
• Design
• Watch think
• Lecturer
• The flesh
• Key decisions
• Policy-making
• Build
• Feel choose
• Journalist
• The dress
• The vision
• Educational
• Support
• Do watch

44
Rules of thumb for design

• Appropriate scale
• Be realistic who will do it?
• Design for real people
• Empty rooms are easier to redecorate
• Make everything as simple as possible, but not
  any simpler
• Minimum change for maximum gain
• Multi-functional design
• Waste is poor design
• Work with what is

45
SMART goals

• Specific (What? Who? When?)
• Measurable
• Accountable
• Realistic
• Time-bound

46
Trade-offs
Quality
Time
Cost (it can be donated resources, rather than
money)
One has to give! Know your limits
47
Real results
You want to be here
Earthcare Problem solved
Fairshares Group is stronger
Peoplecare Individual is happy
48
Alignment is the answer

• Activity
• (stuff envelopes)
• Result
• (mailshot)
• Plan
• (get 30 companies involved)
• Goals
• (educate people about energy)

• What is my task?
• (do it out of fear and/or greed - cant and
  wont)
• What is my goal?
• (do it for fun and friendship - cant and want)
• What is my role?
• (do it for money and/or as a job - can and wont)
• What is the purpose?
• (do it as a calling - can and want)

49
Motivation

• For those who cant
• Concentrate on the task.
• Training. You cant learn to fly by watching the
  pilot.
• Give them structure.
• For those who can
• Give them control. Let them solve their own
  problems.
• Let them design and describe structures.
• For those who wont
• Focus on individual performance
• For those who want
• Strengthen the relationship. Put your energy
  where there is energy.
• Focus on teamwork and collective results. Say
  thank you in public.
• Concentrate on the goals, big and small
• And remember you cant make people volunteer!

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Motivation
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Alignment is the answer

• Effort (stuff envelopes)
• Successful result (mailshot ready)
• Personal goal (get an assignment that is more
  exciting)

52
Motivation

• Eliminate the negative
• Physical environment
• Relationships with others
• Confusion, uncertainty
• Create the positive
• Relationships with others
• Work well done
• Recognition

53
Who should be in a group?
Everybody should have

• Something to give (Why does everybody want this
  person here?)

Something to take (Why does this person want to
be here?)
54
Good teamwork

• Shared, clear goal
• Shared norms
• Collective planning
• Collaboration
• Accountability

55
How to do a meeting

• Establish the goal
• Write the agenda
• Find a location
• Logistics (tables chairs)
• Get people involved
• Assign responsibility

56
The difference between good and bad

• Bad
• Divided
• Confused
• Passive
• Reacting
• Inactive
• Drifting

• Great
• United
• Understanding
• Participative
• Full of initiative
• Active
• Full of purpose

The difference is that somebody made the
difference
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Secrets of good strategy

• Insiders outsiders
• Strong weak ties
• Diverse techniques
• Deliberation is regular, open, authoritative
• Held accountable by multiple constituencies
• The resources come from the constituencies

58
Wants and needs

• Whims
• Fashions, habits
• Social wants (status)
• Social needs (friends)
• Personal safety
• Basic needs (food, shelter)

• To please to give people what they want
• To help to give people what they need

Life or death line