The 27th Region is a nonprofit organization based in Paris that uses design thinking to help redesign public policies for France's 26 regions. Run by designers, researchers, and regional politicians, it conducts experiments to develop new solutions to social and economic issues. Its goal is to empower the regions to create their own design labs and apply these user-centered approaches within their own administrations. Since 2009, it has conducted several multi-week residencies in public spaces and launched a new program called "La Transfo" to help 5 regions prototype their own design labs over 3 years.

1. the 27th Region,
public
innovation
lab
www.la27eregion.fr

2. (Re)designing public policies
Who ?
The 27th Region is a non-pro- with design, political and ad-
fit organization based in Paris, ministrative sciences skills,
founded in 2008 and supported together with a national/inter-
by the 26 french regional national network involving 40
governments through their national professionals such as service
association called Association designers, sociologists, archi-
des Régions de France (ARF), but tects, urbanists, anthropologists,
also by the European Union, a digital activists and researchers.
national bank called Caisse des Around 200 politicians and civil
Dépôts and the Next Generation servants are directly involved in
Internet Foundation (FING). the projects initiated by the 27th
The project is run by a team Region.
Why ?
The creation of the 27th Region a way to find new solutions;
was based on the strong belief promoting the participation of
that (re)designing public policies the citizens, and concepts such
was possible, and that both as co-design led by users and
design thinking and social inno- stakeholders, but also visionning
vation could highly contribute and experience prototyping
to reshape the public sector during the administrative process.
in several ways : transforming The role of the 27th Region is
traditional «new public manage- to promote these concepts as
ment» of the 70’s into a radi- the signs of a brand new culture
cally more user-driven model; that politicians must put higher
developing horizontal practices in their agenda in order to find
in public departments that are new solutions in fields like demo-
traditionnaly organized around cracy, sustainable development
vertical silos ; encouraging civil or poverty.
servants to use creativity as
What ?
The 27th Region operates as an them to create and embed their
innovation lab for the 26 french own «design labs». In order to
Regions. In the middle term, build this knowledge, action-
the ultimate goal is to empower research programs are initiated
Regions and their partners with and run together with the
this new culture, and to encourage Regions and their partners.

3. How ?
From January 2009 till decem- social issues, and to get a better
ber 2010, the 27th Region has understanding of the potential of
launched 12 local experiments, design in finding new solutions
based on the principles of to existing problems.
«residences». In each experi- Since 2011 and till 2014, as a
ment, a cross-disciplinary team result of this first successfull
led by a designer has spent 3 project, the 27th Region has
months, including 3 weeks of launched a new program with 5
total immersion, in a territory or Regions, called «La Transfo». Its
a public space (neighborhood, goal is to help these Regions to
village, station, high school, prototype their own «design lab»
university etc..) The goal was to within 3 years and to enable
develop desirable projects and them to build their own design
sustainable solutions with vision, strategy and tools.
people in response to economical or
Membership and awards
The 27th Region is a partner of Region. In June 2011, the 27th
SIX (Social Innovation Exchange), Region has received a national
DESIS (Design for Social Inno- award called «Victoires des
vation and Sustainability) and acteurs publics» for its new
PERL (Partnership for Respon- program «La Transfo» and is
sible Education and Research nominated for the European
about Living). Strategic Design Design Management Award 2011
Scenarios, based in Brussel, is on 23rd september.
the scientific partner of the 27th
Publications
In 2010, the 27th Region has cases, interviews of pioneers of
published «Design des politiques design and public sector,
publiques», a concept-book testimonials with numerous
promoting design and co- visuals (la Documentation fran-
creation has a major way to res- çaise, April 2010, 160 pages, 18
hape public policies, collecting euros).
Contacts
Stéphane Vincent, director, svincent@la27eregion.fr
Charlotte Rautureau, project manager, crautureau@la27eregion.fr
Romain Thévenet, designer, rthevenet@la27eregion.fr

4. last projects run by la 27e Région :
residence in a cyber-centre exhibition during the St residence in a high school
near Marseille (south of Etienne Design Biennale in Annecy (near Switzer-
France) land)
residence in an agricultu- workshop with the policy INFU, european research
ral school in a rural area in commitee of la 27e Region project on futur of inno-
North of France vation
study trip with policy residence in a railway residence in a neighbour-
makers in Malmö and Co- station in rural area in Bur- ghood of Lille (North of
penhaguen gundy (centre of France) France)
workshop with design stu- tool design for regions to concept-book
dents of Ensci Les Ateliers build visions about the
futur of highschools
www.la27eregion.fr
www.latransfo.net
infos@la27eregion.fr
8 passage Brulon
75012 Paris France