BODIES &BUILDINGSNYU ITP LECTURE COURSE FALL 2014

CLASS 1: SEPTEMBER 8, 2014

JEN VAN DER MEER @JENVANDERMEER WWW.JENVANDERMEER.ORG

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WHO ARE WEWho are you?

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ABOUT ME:

JAPANESE GOV’T ECONOMIST

TECH ANALYST

MBA – HEC

MOM

ITP PITCHFEST

OPEN DATA

LUMINARY

LABS

DRILLTEAM

DACHIS

WEST VILLAGE

DESIGNERS ACCORD

SYSTEMS THINKING

SUBURBAN CHILDHOOD

FROG DESIGN

ORGANIC INC.

SUSTAINABILITY BA COMP RELIGION

REASON STREET

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COURSE THESIS

BODIES & BUILDINGS

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BODIES +We have made huge strides in life expectancy, but we have reached limits of growth.

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BODIESWe have made huge strides in life expectancy, but we have reached limits of growth.

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BODIES Bodies are in trouble right now – despite reaching the peak of productivity the US now leads the world in the rampant growth of chronic diseases that lower life expectancy, and reduce life quality.

“People are living longer than projected in 1990 -- on average, 10.7 more years for men, and 12.6 more years for women. But for many of them, the quality of life during those years is not good. On average, people are plagued by illness or pain during the last 14 years of life.”

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BUILDINGSNew Yorkers life a less carbon-emitting life than most.

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BUILDINGSBut we live and work in buildings.

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BUILDINGSBuildings account for the largest source of both electricity consumption (68% of global use) and greenhouse gas emissions (48% of global emissions) in the world. –UNEP.

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WHY IS IT SO HARD TO CARE FOR OUR PLANET AND OURSELVES?WE SEEM HUNGOVER FROM A CENTURY OF PROSPERITY AND INGENUITY, UNABLE TO INVENT ECONOMIC MODELS THAT CREATE JOBS, IMPROVE HEALTH, AND RESTORE THE EARTH.

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THE TROUGH OF DISILLUSIONMENTTHE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT

Gartner’s Technology Hype Cycle

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TEAM BUILDING DYNAMIC

The full cycle of a team’s development

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STARTUP CURVE

Paul Graham’s take on the hype cycle

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VONNEGUT AT THE BLACKBOARD

THE TRUTH IS, WE KNOW SO LITTLE ABOUT LIFE, WE DON’T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE GOOD NEWS IS AND WHAT THE BAD NEWS IS.

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MAN IN HOLE

GOOD FORTUNE

ILL FORTUNE

BEGINNING END

MAN IN HOLE

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KAFKA

GOOD FORTUNE

ILL FORTUNE

BEGINNING END

KAFKA

∞

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BOY MEETS GIRL

GOOD FORTUNE

ILL FORTUNE

BEGINNING END

BOY MEETS GIRL

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CINDARELLA

GOOD FORTUNE

ILL FORTUNE

BEGINNING END

CINDARELLA

∞

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DON’T DESPAIR

Purpose of this course:

You are better equipped than MBAs to envision and build our way out of this trap, but often lack an understanding of the mega forces of business, regulation, and bad cultural habits that keep us from saving ourselves.

What we will cover in this course:

• Meta view

• Focus on points of intervention

• Conceptual scaffolding

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LEVERAGE POINTS

DONALLA (DANA) MEADOWS

1941-2001

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“Folks who do systems analysis have a great belief in “leverage points.” These are places within a complex system (a corporation, an economy, a living body, a city, an ecosystem) where a small shift in one thing can produce big change in everything .LEVERAGE POINTS.

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Beware the silver bullet

THE NEARLY EFFORTLESS WAY TO CUT THROUGH OR LEAP OVER HUGE OBSTACLES.

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Beware the silver bullets

THE NEARLY EFFORTLESS WAY TO CUT THROUGH OR LEAP OVER HUGE OBSTACLES.

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We not only want to believe that there are leverage points, we want to know where they are and how to get our hands on them.

LEVERAGE POINTS ARE POINTS OF POWER.

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But leverage points and how to push them are counterintuitive.

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PLACES TO INTERVENE IN A SYSTEM: 12. Constants, parameters, numbers (subsidies, taxes, standards)

11. The sizes of buffers and other stabilizing stocks, relative to their flows

10. The structure of material stocks and flows (transport networks, population age structures)

9. Length of delays, relative to the rate of system change

8. The strength of negative feedback loops, relative to the impacts they are trying to correct against

7. The gain around driving positive feedback loops

6. The structure of information flows (who does and does not have access to what kinds of information)

5. The rules of the system (such as incentives, punishments, constraints)

4. The power to add, change, evolve, or self-organize system structure

3. The goals of the system

2. The mindset or paradigm out of which the system – its goals, power structure, rules, its culture-arises

1. The power to transcend paradigms

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YOUR FIRST SYSTEMS DIAGRAM

HEALTHTRUSTWATERENERGYPOLAR BEARS

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1. BATHTUB PARAMETERS

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HANDS ON THE FAUCETS“Putting different hands on the faucets may change the rate at which the faucets turn, but if they’re the same old faucets, plumbed into the same old system, turned according to the same old information and goals and rules, the system isn’t going to change much.”

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NYC APARTMENT HEAT PARAMETERS

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STOMACH PARAMETERS

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(BUT THE STOMACH IS NOT THAT SIMPLE : IT HOSTS A COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEM)

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PARAMETERS ARE THE LEAST POWERFUL LEVERS.

PEOPLE CARE DEEPLY AND FIGHT FIERCELY. BUT THEY RARELY CHANGE BEHAVIOR.

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WHAT ARE EXAMPLES OF PARAMETERS?

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2. THE SIZE OF THE BUFFERS

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THE SIZE OF THE BUFFERSWATER TOWER

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FISH

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THE SIZE OF THE BUFFERSCHEESE SUBSIDIES

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BUFFERS ARE OFTEN EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN, AND NOT EASY TO CHANGE

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WHAT ARE EXAMPLES OF BUFFERS?

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GREEN AREA AROUND LONDON

3. THE STRUCTURE OF MATERIAL STOCKS AND FLOWS AND NODES OF INTERSECTION

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THE STRUCTURE OF MATERIAL STOCKS AND FLOWS AND NODES OF INTERSECTION

PS 3 VS PS 41

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Physical structure is crucial in a system, but rarely a leverage point, because changing it is rarely simple. The leverage point is in proper design in the first place. After the structure is built, the leverage is in understanding its limitations and bottlenecks and refraining from fluctuations or expansions that strain its capacity.

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WHAT ARE EXAMPLES MATERIAL STOCKS AND FLOWS?

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YOU ARE 25% THROUGH YOUR SYSTEMS THINKING INTRO PAUSE

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WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS COURSE

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WHAT YOU WILL GET FROM ME

This is a lecture course, and the syllabus is built to provide students with a systems thinking approach to problem solving. The objective for the final presentations is for students to generate a concept that can be applied to improve human health, building health, or both. The goal is for students to articulate a solution, and argue persuasively for ideas to become reality (vs. moving straight to working prototype in usual ITP fashion). Assignments will involve in person class presentation, and class participation is required. The course is structured to provide iterative opportunities to build and strengthen ideas – rooted in user-centered design, data-driven outcomes, grounded in the realities of sustainable cost models and growth plans, strengthened by students’ ability to stand up and tell their stories.

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HOW THIS COURSE IS STRUCTURED

Bodies

Buildings

Midterm

Finals

Action

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HOW THIS COURSE IS STRUCTURED

1. Introduction to systems thinking, September 8, 2014

Part 1: Bodies

2. Bodies – The Obesity Epidemic, September 15, 2014

3. Bodies – The Open Health Data Movement, September 22, 2014

4. Bodies – Minimally Disruptive Medicine, September 29, 2014

5. Bodies – The Global mHealth Movement, October 6, 2014

6. Quick Concept Pitches: Argue Your Opposing View on Health Tech, October 20, 2014

(5 minute in class presentations and feedback)

Part 2: Buildings

7. Clean Tech Failures, Clean Tech Long Term View, October 27, 2014

8. LEED and the Passive House Movement, November 3, 2014

9. Waste Has Value, November 10, 2014

10. Generative Architecture, Responsive Design, November 17, 2014

11. Final Presentations, November 24, 2014

With guest critics

12. Taking Action: December 1, 2014

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TIME COMMITMENT, WHAT TO EXPECT.

Core classes:

• Reading: 30 min – 1 hour per week (for required reading, but supplemental reading/viewing offered)

• Essay/assignments writing – 2-4 hours per week

• Practice speaking – 30 min to 1 hour per week

Presentation classes:

• Concept presentation research 20 hours

• Concept presentation development 10-20 hours

• Concept presentation rehearsal 3 hours

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CLASS ASSIGNMENTS

Weekly assignments – written 1-2 page essays will be announced DURING CLASS. And posted to updated syllabus.

Syllabus is located here: jenvandermeer.org

Presentation assignments – visual presentation or demo. You may build on existing Thesis or other class projects.

Two or more of you can build off of the same class projects BUT you must prepare your own concept presentation, essays, and present to the class individually.

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OFFICE HOURS

5-6:30 Mondays before class, or available by appointment.

Schedule time with me for research guidance, concept strengthening, presentation rehearsal.

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SEE YOU NEXT MONDAY

Class assignment for 9/15/2014

Mandatory! Read ALL OF Donella Meadows:

Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System

Take leverage points 9, 8, 7.

Write a 1 page or 500-600 word essay on the following topic:

How do mobile apps try to affect leverage points 9, 8, and 7.

9) The length of delays, relative to the rate of system change

8) The strength of negative feedback loops, relative to impacts they are trying to correct against

7) The gain around driving positive feedback loops

Give one example and explain how the app is or is not designed to affect each of these leverage points. How effective do you think this app will be at changing behavior?

You will be asked to present your work, so practice rehearsing your in class presentation at least two times.