Understanding Cities as Systems

1
Understanding Cities as Systems

• Gwendolyn Hallsmith
• Global Community Initiatives

2
Human Needs and Sustainable Goals
Capacity
Action
3
five requirements for sustainable cities
health and well-being
empowerment and responsibility
economic security
?
efficient services and infrastructure
ecological integrity
4
The Whole is Greater
5
When to use Systems Thinking

• Has the issue been around long enough to have a
  history?
• Do the people involved have different and
  possibly contrasting theories about the issue?
• Does the issue exhibit dynamic complexity?

6
When to use Systems Thinking

• Is the issue best addressed with a fresh
  approach?
• Are the people involved absolutely certain that
  they know the cause of the issue?
• Have competing theories caused a bottleneck for
  action?

Source Pegasus Communications Innovation in
Management Series
7
Behavior Over Time
8
Linear Behavior Over Time
9
Per Capita and Average Water Consumption Calgary
10
Exponential Behavior
11
(No Transcript)
12
Goal-Seeking Behavior
13
Male Female Life Expectancyin Alberta
14
Exponential/Goal-Seeking
15
Calgary Water Supply Behavior
16
Oscillating Behavior
Behavior Over Time Pictures from U.S. Department
of Energys Introduction to System Dynamics
http//www.albany.edu/cpr/sds/DL-IntroSysDyn/insid
e.htm
17
Lynx Trapped in Canada 1830-1930
18
Stocks and Flows
Water flows in
Water flows out
19
Stock and Flow Diagrams
Stock and Flow slides from U.S. Department of
Energys Introduction to System Dynamics at
http//www.albany.edu/cpr/sds/DL-IntroSysDyn/insid
e.htm
20
Constant positive rate linear stock increase
21
Positive increasing rate (linear) stock
increases at an increasing rate
22
Positive decreasing rate (linear) stock
increases at a decreasing rate
23
Negative declining rate (linear) stock
decreases at an increasing rate
24
Negative increasing rate (linear) stock
decreases at an decreasing rate
25
Positive increasing rate (exponential) stock
increases at an exponential rate
26
Examples of Stocks and Flows
27
Feedback
28
Feedback from Stock to Flow
29
feedback loops
A
B
B
A
30
(No Transcript)
31
reinforcing loops


32
balancing loops
33
Negative Feedback Policy Failure
34
Diagramming Systems

• Tell the Story
• Draw Behavior over time diagrams
• Create a focusing Question
• Diagram each theory separately
• Explore causal links and systemic structure
• Create feedback loops
• Test your theories

35
Exercise

• Using the Boston Schools example, with stocks,
  flows, and feedback, prepare a system diagram of
  the integration policy failure.
• Variables
• Stocks White Children in White Schools
• Black Children in Black Schools
• Flows Bussed children
• White Flight to Suburbs
• Feedback White parents desire to keep children
• in white schools

36
A Fix that Failed