This week’s lesson will have two parts. First, we will focus on the historical roots of geodesign, describe what geodesign is, and discuss the scope, importance, and promise of geodesign in our modern world.
In part two, we will explore the importance of systems by watching Dr. Donella Meadows lecture about sustainable systems . While not required reading, feel free to follow along with the first few chapters from her seminal work, Thinking in Systems. The video is basically a summary of these chapters . To be an effective practitioner of geodesign, one must cultivate ‘systems thinking’ to be able to identify root causes of problems and see new opportunities in the complex systems that make up our world. Donella Meadow teaches us how to do this.
Ian McHarg’s study of the New Jersey shore illuminates this concept nicely. In “Sea and Survival”, McHarg outlines the components of various environments that make up the seashore ecosystem, each with their own tolerances and vulnerabilities. McHarg illustrates how designers must identify vulnerabilities in a system, and harness the natural behavior of the system to create intelligent and resilient design that exists in harmony with nature.
Lastly, while not discussed explicitly in the lesson narrative, one of our required readings for the week, by Dr. Frederick Steiner, will present a basic approach to ecological planning. The concepts and steps presented in the introductory chapter of Steiner's book, The Living Landscape , serve as an important foundation for understanding the geodesign framework. Many of the "models" we will be exposed to in Carl Steinitz's Framework for Geodesign align with common steps in the planning process.