thinking as a platform - and how that changes everything // joost beunderman / civic systems lab
DESCRIPTION
From "Building new ecosystems of collaboration and creativity" // by Civic Systems Lab / RSA / Lankelly Chase Foundation // An event of the Unusual Suspects Festival // Thursday, 4 September 2014 Context: To co-create the urban commons of the future we need to go beyond ideas of co-producing services, and instead start to build new systems so that everyone can participate in society more fully. Over the last 5 years we have seen an explosion of new citizen-led hybrid initiatives throughout the UK and across the world. Each new initiative adds to a body of imaginative ideas and critical lessons of how we can together create stronger local communities and economies. These initiatives are not building new public services or more consumer-oriented markets. Instead, by functioning as an open platform for wide-ranging participation, they reframe our everyday local experience toward a new type of practical and participatory civic economy. Taken together, imagined as a density of projects in one place, they represent the potential for a radical reorganisation of our local systems that have the potential to address deep issues such as inequality, multiple disadvantage and loneliness. They offer a set of new approaches and design principles that make more collective approach between citizens, funders, and government a more feasible idea.TRANSCRIPT
THINKING AS A PLATFORM and how that changes everything
B U I L D I N G N E W E C O S Y S T E M S O F C O L L A B O R AT I O N & C R E AT I V I T Y
!
T H U R S DAY 4 T H S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4
The “stuff” approach: How can we create more stuff whenever a problem crops up? !
The “optimization” approach: How can we better distribute the stuff already created to minimise waste? !
The “platform” approach: How can we redefine stuff and find new ways of solving the same problem? !!
!
The stuff approach creates supply, the platform approach uncovers new sources of supply
CREATING PLATFORMS VS CREATING STUFF
ARCHITECTURE BY ARCHITECTSMonetary Economy
ARCHITECTURE BY EVERYONE ELSESocial EconomyLed by the many Platform economy
Led by the few Corporate economy
!
Instead of ‘just’ building a phone with functions, Apple built a marketplace for phone content produced by many app designers
Spark
Participative Platforms
Project Catalyst
Multiple Outcomes
Financial Sustainability
Other Genius
Artists need studio space
Self-management and DIY of members lowers costs
Membership contribution also creates project fund
Grater access to property, local regeneration, arts fund
Local productive asset generates surplus
Live (for) free, work (for) free!
NIEUWE ATELIERS CHARLOIS
!
Platforms don’t provide or service, they enable and invite. !
They try to reduce dependency and invite co-production !
They don’t prescribe solutions but are open-ended. !
They thrive and depend on unpredictable inputs of many unpredictable players. !
They offer a basic infrastructure and set some rules of engagement within which ‘everything’ is possible.
!
Platforms don’t provide or service, they enable and invite. !
They try to reduce dependency and invite co-production !
They don’t prescribe solutions but are open-ended. !
They thrive and depend on unpredictable inputs of many unpredictable players. !
They offer a basic infrastructure and set some rules of engagement within which ‘everything’ is possible.
Spark
Participative Platforms
Project Catalyst
Multiple Outcomes
Financial Sustainability
Other Genius
Theatre opens up surplus space to local start-ups
One of the space tenants becomes a collaborator
An incubator for sustainable energy projects is born
Inclusive culture, carbon savings, network effects
Volunteer network & revenue diversification
1,000 volunteers helped them move locations
ARCOLA THEATRE
FROM ONLINE PLATFORMS…
FROM ONLINE PLATFORMS…
FROM ONLINE PLATFORMS…
open works brixton hub
WorkShop / Open Works, Lambeth
…TO LOCAL PLATFORM INITIATIVES
in store for sidcup
The Common Room, Norwich
…TO LOCAL PLATFORM INITIATIVES
Impact Hub Westminster
…TO LOCAL PLATFORM INITIATIVES
How can Councils or Housing Associations work with this logic?
It has to go further than…
How can Civic start-ups work with this logic?
SERVICES PLATFORMSPushing products (marketing) Pulling in people (inviting)
Provide / transact the stuff you sell Enable / facilitate unpredictable results
People as consumers People as potential producers
People co-delivering on a set agenda People initiating their own projects
Programming & specifying Curating
Managing Setting a culture, enabling ‘plugging in’
Precise rules Broad protocols
Output finance Outcomes / collective impact finance
DIFFERENT BEHAVIOURS
The civic economy depends on creating participatory platforms…
