Lars Frederiksen: Ecocit: Research on innovation and sustainability in urban design

Lars Frederiksen Innovation & Entrepreneurship Group Roundtable for UK-China Innovation for Sustainability and Equitable Development 19 th March 2010 Ecocit: Research on innovation and sustainability in urban design

Overview
Introduction: Meso-level innovation policy?
Ecocit: A UK-China research program
An example of Ecocit research: Innovation in sustainable integrated urban design
Research motivation and context
Research method
Findings and analysis I: systems integration
Findings and analysis II: capability building

Meso-level innovation policy
Complementary initiatives to national or regional level innovation policy?
Involving universities and industry partners from the outset
A more agency-based bottom-up approach to changing the innovation system?
Joint research activities (UK-China):
Knowledge creation and transfer at university/individual level
© Imperial College Business School

英国工程和自然科学研究委员会 (EPSRC) 可持续生态城市研究网 Ecoregion Research Networks 生态城市建设提供了实践研究的背景，激发了创新和全球的行业互动。 EPSRC 研究网为这一成果创造条件。 Eco-cities provide a context for practical research, the stimulation of innovation and interaction with industry globally. The EPSRC networks are an enabler for this outcome. Visualisation by ARUP

CHAMSPAM Network: 城市历史和多尺度总体规划 City history & multi-scale master planning ECOCIT Network: 城市外围地区经济和生态模式 Peripheral urban units, socio-economic models SUSTAIN Network: 可实现的可持续的城市系统的建设 Achievable implementation of sustainable urban systems 协调框架 Co-ordination Framework - 广泛的网络活动 - - Pan network activities - 联系一体化宣传 link integrate promote www.eco-networks.org 确定资助来源：欧盟、 EPSRC 、英国工业贸易部… Identify funding streams: EU, EPSRC, DTI … 提升形象，研究网络： 2010 世博会… Raise profile, research networks: World Expo 2010 … 国际研究：访问培训、考察奖学金… International research: training visits, travel fellowships … 管理、文化和风险 Governance, culture & risk 经济、环境和区域背景 Economics, environment and regional context 可持续的基础设施和行为适应 Sustainable infrastructure and behaviour adaptation

可持续的经济发展 Sustainable economic development & 可持续的生态目标 Sustainable ecological objectives  此类大城市外围区的要求是什么？ What are the requirements for such urban units on periphery of mega cities?
涉及的内容：
生态城与周边城市相比，在能源、污染等方面有更严格的要求 - 商业竞争力？大城市影响下的小城市 - 如何吸引和保留技术基地？
生态城市可持续发展实践 - 城市运营管理模式至关重要
Issues:
New management paradigms & business models to design, build & operate eco-cities
Planning & policy to promote sustainable economic & ecological development, inward investment, and harmonise employment opportunities & human capital
Learning & transferring innovation and best practices to other eco-city projects on a worldwide basis
ECOCIT 　研究网城市外围功能区可持续的经济和生态模式 ECOCIT Research Network : Sustainable Economic and Ecological Models for Peripheral Urban Functional Units 经济、环境和区域背景 Economics, environment and regional context
研究网将致力于规划和政策手段，目的是：
为生态城市吸引外国投资吸
引和保留公司
使就业机会和人力资本和谐
Network will address planning and policy actions to promote sustainable economic development, while achieving ecological goals in urban units on the periphery of a mega-city

可持续的经济发展 Sustainable economic development & 可持续的生态目标 Sustainable ecological objectives  此类大城市外围区的要求是什么？ What are the requirements for such urban units on periphery of mega cities? ECOCIT 研究网：城市外围功能区可持续的经济和生态模式 ECOCIT Research Network : Sustainable Economic and Ecological Models for Peripheral Urban Functional Units 经济、环境和区域背景 Economics, environment and regional context 活动：网络：学术、产业和政府网络，实际上的通过环境技术和工程关注商业的中心研讨会：公共论坛、讲座和系列讨论会文本工作：大城市战略、经济与生态平衡模型组织部：决策工具和进程推动 Activities: NETWORK: Build an academic, industry & government network to develop key areas of research OUTCOMES: Joint workshops (face-to-face and virtual meetings) to produce targeted research Portal with information resources, forums, decision-making tools and process aids

Ecocit - part of a larger plan
The Ecoregion Research Networks:
Funded by the UK Engineering and physical sciences research council (EPSRC)
Launched 2007 – running until Summer 2010
Led by University College London, Southampton University and Imperial College London
Public/private initiative for urban sustainability: Collaboration involving UK-based global engineering consultants: Arup
Less focus on stand-alone technological opportunities – more concerned with systemic/market-facing end of solutions for low-carbon future (i.e. local authorities and firms)

Ecocit: Outcomes so far
A community of interdisciplinary researchers (China, UK, Spain, US) focused on sustainability, planning, innovation and business
Virtual seminars,
Three major research proposals submitted including both UK and Chinese researchers
New management paradigms and business models required to support the design of ecocity developments
Urban entrepreneurship: Planning and policy actions required to drive inward investment, attract and retain firms, and harmonise local employment opportunities and human capital
Learning from Dongtan, focusing on the exploitation of innovation and the transfer of best practices from this leadership project to other ecocity projects on a worldwide basis
Two research grant won (EPSRC):
Dongtan ecocity: Integrated sustainable urban design
Energy service business models in Kenya, India and China
Organised three large workshops in UK (2) and China
Shanghai Expo event

An example: The Dongtan ecocity case study
Focus on the business side of creating integrated sustainable urban design solutions
Focus on the role played by the engineering and design consultancy Arup in capability development and replication

Research motivation: managing innovation
New performance requirements for cities: zero-carbon and sustainability objectives
Initiated by breakthrough projects in design, build or operations
How is knowledge created and combined in a breakthrough project in a new market?
How is knowledge transferred from a breakthrough project to the next project?
© Imperial College Business School Market base new new existing Technology base
Business as usual
Traditional capabilities
New projects New projects New projects

‘ Dongtan is the next Sidney Opera house for Arup in terms of importance’ B. Morera, Urban designer, Arup, 2008 ‘ Normally we would never do a project like Dongtan – it is too risky and too big. However, this was a rare opportunity for us to show leadership and learn…. Taking on large projects is the way we learn in this business of projects’ John Miles, Arup Board, 2009 Breakthrough projects for Arup

Challenge – Rapid Chinese urbanisation
2050
China’s urban population is expected to reach 1.12bn people
600m people are expected move from rural to urban areas

Challenge: Climate Change and Chinese cities
“ China is searching for novel ways to expand urban areas while conserving natural resources”, Science, 2008

One response to these challenges: Ecocities
Ecocity - radically new form of urban design
New build and new build/retrofit projects
Promote sustainable living and low carbon society
Less use of non-renewable resources
Adapt to climate change
A systemic and integrated approach including socio-economic issues as taxation, local level service delivery (schools, hospitals), business development, etc.
Pioneering examples (demonstrators – closed systems to monitor performance):
Dongtan in China
Masdar in Abu Dhabi

Dongtan – Designing a vision of the urban low carbon future "Dongtan was a rare chance to demonstrate that growth could happen a different way.” Lead planner Alejandro Gutierrez, Arup, Wired 2007 “ This city will become a showpiece for the rest of the world. With London set to grow so much, the methods we use in Dongtan will become extremely relevant to London.” Peter Head, Dongtan Project Director, Arup 2007

Dongtan ecocity – key objectives and features
Client: Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation (SIIC)
Consultant masterplanner : Arup (UK design consultancy)
Sustainable ‘demonstrator city’ – cutting carbon emissions shapes urban design
40 min travel time to central Shanghai
Population 500,000 in 2050
Site: 84 square km
3 distinct towns amid parkland and canals
Population density similar to London

New road & rail link connection 2009

Dongtan – planned in phases
First phase to b e developed by 2020
Three villages
830 hectares
Whole site developed by 2050
8,400 hectares

Dongtan ecocity design – key project milestones 2007 June-Oct Phase 1 Feasibility Report – Testing Phase 1 objectives & deliverables for Shanghai Expo 2010 2006 December September Arup issues Sustainability Guidelines - Definition of specific objectives, indicators and requirements for buildings, infrastructure & public space Arup issues Control Plan for Start-Up area - Final Masterplan & Main Planning application document 2005 December Arup issues First Design Report for Start-Up area - Key sustainability strategies & urban vision for Dongtan Start-Up area 2004 August June Arup First Vision for Development – Document defines sustainable aspirations for Dongtan SIIC appoints Arup for developing the vision

Outcome of Arup’s design project
Project delivered three months early
Met client’s request’s for close to 100% zero carbon solution
Uses proven technology to reduce risks
Innovation lies in the integration of technology and environment, cultural and social components
‘ But of course Dongtan is not a rigid blueprint for a city for the future’…other projects must be guided by unique local environment (Peter Head, Arup)

Wetland, Dongtan, Oct 2007

Research aims and objectives
How did Arup develop the knowledge required to deliver the innovative design for Dongtan?
Recombine and create new capabilities
Work with the client (SIIC) in developing capabilities
‘ Renewal’ strategy
How did Arup transfer capabilities from the Dongtan project and developing them on subsequent ecocity projects in China and elsewhere?
Transfer of capabilities
Improvement of capabilities over time
Work with the client to on subsequent projects
‘ Replication’ strategy

Three generations of systems integration
1 st Generation – ‘technical system’
Design & integration of physical components into a functioning system (Saplosky, 1972)
Driven by technical specification (e.g. US missile systems)
2 nd Generation – socio-technical ‘integrated solutions’
Design & integration of hardware, software, services and capabilities into ‘integrated solutions’ (Prencipe et al., 2003; Davies, 2004; Hobday et al., 2005)
Driven by output specification (performance targets)
3 rd Generation – ‘eco-technical solutions’
Natural, social and technological components (Hughes, 2004)
Driven by ‘sustainability targets’
Designed to change human behaviour (e.g. promote sustainable and healthy lifestyle; adapt and mitigate climate change)

Ecocity design & systems integration
Masterplanning – the creation of the ecocity design is first phase of systems integration process
Requires innovation in organisation, tools and techniques to create sustainable outcomes as well as across multiple agents
Instead of focusing on one of the core systems (e.g. energy or waste) the city was designed using the concept of ‘integrated urbanism’
Design in one component interacts with multiple components to change performance outcomes

Arup’s new approach: ‘Integrated Urbanism’: a systemic approach to innovation Source: ‘Making Places in the Ecological Age’, Arup Urban Design

New tools developed for sustainable integrated urban design

Dynamic capabilities in project-based industries
Dynamic capabilities: ‘the firm’s ability to integrate, build and reconfigure internal and external competencies to address rapidly changing environments’ Teece et al. (1997)
Dynamic capabilities in project-based industries - Shamshie et al (2009)
Renewal strategies
Replication strategies
We contribute to the dynamic capabilities literature:
Process of transitioning from renewal to replication
Reveals how firm’s develop the competencies to ‘shape’ the external environment – a process of reinforcement

Phases of capability development
Examine the birth and evolution of Arup’s design capabilities in three overlapping phases
Renewal phase – capabilities developed during the Dongtan project
Replication phase – capabilities transferred and developed on subsequent ecocity projects
Reinforcement phase – capabilities to gain institutional support and legitimacy for the new market category: ecocity projects

1. Renewal phase: the Dongtan project team
The project was risky for Arup
Foreign architects can lose control of their Chinese projects when clients seek to cut costs and redesign using cheaper options
Was the client really committed?
Origins LSE connection
Core team of 5 builds up to 150 specialists in less than one year (mainly in-house)

1. Renewal phase: innovation in urban design
Dongtan project was a ‘skunkworks’ organisation within Arup
New concept of multi-functional project team called ‘total serial innovation’ (Peter Head, Arup)
Led by architects working in multi-functional teams
30 specialists each with a team of 3-4 members
Developed new tools on the project to support integrated urban design
Integrated Resource Model (IRM)
SPEAR

2. Replication phase: codification, routines and tools
Partnership with SIIC on 4 ecocity projects in China – client wants to take one systems integrator role
Partnership with HSBC
Transfer knowledge and develop replicable capabilities on subsequent ecocity projects
Creation of Integrated Urbanism unit in Arup
Group ‘born out of Dongtan’ (Guiterrez, interview)
Transfer of core Dongtan project members
Mentoring on new projects
Refinement of project tools – IRM and SPEAR
Create new tool: Integrated Methodology – sequence of design processes

3. Reinforcement phase: institutional legitimacy
Led by charismatic project members: Peter Head, Alejandro Guiterrez and Malcolm Smith
Promote the concept of ecocity in international conferences: Clinton C40 (Melbourne, Toronto, etc.)
Dongtan and iconic project members: the focus of more than 300 articles in major Chinese, UK and US newspapers
Creation of Institutes for Sustainability – China and UK
Collaboration with universities – e.g. EPSRC Dongtan Networks
In 2008: Business Week labeled the Dongtan ecocity as one of the ten wonders of China! 

Dynamic capabilities: Arups Integrated Urbanism
Renewal phase Dongtan project
Breakthrough project
Replication phase
Subsequent ecocity projects
China
Elsewhere in world
Reinforcement phase
Institutional legitimacy
Clinton C40
Institute for Sustainability
2004 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005

Thank you!
Questions and comments are welcome

Lars Frederiksen: Ecocit: Research on innovation and sustainability in urban design

by STEPS Centre on Aug 17, 2010

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Lars Frederiksen: Ecocit: Research on innovation and sustainability in urban design — Presentation Transcript