The document summarizes a workshop on co-designing public services between citizens and the local government. It describes three alternative citizen-led arrangements: [1] An active seniors association that co-designed housing for the elderly, [2] An urban design initiative that created a shared space for citizens and the city to experiment, and [3] A citizen initiative for recycling and upcycling that influenced city policy. The workshop structure involved participant introductions, discussions, and developing advice. It highlighted the importance of experimental and transparent collaboration between citizens and government.

1. Local Public Design
Imaginarium, September 19 and 20, 2012
Governing in peer to peer context?
Co-design of public sector services
Andrea Botero andrea.botero@aalto.fi
Clément Dupuis c.dupuis@kaleido-scop.eu

2. Workshop structure
• Introduction
• Presentation of the participants
• “Where do you stand?”
• Experiments
• “Golden Advises”
• Discussion
Structure de l atelier
• Introduction
• Presentation des participants
• “Ou vous placez-vous?”
• Experimentations
•“Golden Advises”
• Discussion

4. Botero, A., Paterson, A. G., & Saad-Sulonen, J.
(2012). Towards Peer-production in Public Services:
cases from Finland. Aalto University Publication
Series Crossover 15. Helsinki, Finland: Aalto
University, School of Art, Design and Architecture.
ME:
Andrea Botero andrea.botero@aalto.fi

5. •Engeström, Y. (2008). From Teams to Knots: Studies of Collaboration and
Learning at Work (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Benkler, Y. (2006). The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms
Markets and Freedom. Yale University Press.
Ostrom, E. (1991). Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for
Collective Action. Cambridge University Press.
Bauwens, M. (2006). The Political Economy of Peer Production. Post-autistic
economics review,, (37), 33–44.

6. “Give us a break from your
co-something!”
Grand-Lyon inhabitant
“Laissez-nous tranquille
avec vos co-chepaquoi!”
Habitant du Grand-Lyon

7. Its much easier to make young
people participate or be co….
Il est plus facile de faire
participer les jeunes ou faire en
sorte qu ils soient co-…

8. Its more useful to be a good
conflict manager than a great
project manager (in P projects)
Dans les projets participatifs, il est
plus utile d etre un bon gestionnaire
de conflit (mediateur) qu un bon
gestionnaire de projet

9. “finally, its always the same
persons who attend the
meetings”
“Finalement, c´est toujours les
memes personnes qui viennent
aux reunions”

10. ….The penchant for neat, orderly
hierarchical systems needs to be
replaced with a recognition that
complex, polycentric systems are
needed to cope effectively with complex
problems of modern life and to give all
citizens a more effective role in the
governance of democratic societies….
Ostrom, E. (2000). Crowding out Citizenship. Scandinavian Political Studies, 23(1), 3–16. doi:
10.1111/1467-9477.0002

11. Loppukiri (e= last spurt)
Alternative arrangements for growing old in
contemporary Finland

12. Active seniors association + multiple
collaborators
-“Graying” Finland
- Loneliness / helpless or Useless / solitary
- Lack of alternative solutions
- Goal: Develop one alternative model of life for elderly
people
- Housing politics = they had to build an apartment house
- Seek for expert advice but keep decision power in their
hands

13. Method: Infrastructure
Active and meaningful life
Combining privacy at home and community life
Cooperation and sense of community
Working teams to take care of common tasks
New projects, hobbies and interests
Co-design: Infra for the community (house and intra)

14. Result(s)
Pilot community consulting 7 new similar
experiences + working model(s) and infras
Four basic principles: neighborliness, self-help,
community spirit and open decision-making
process (Dalström and Minkkinen 2009)
http://www.aktiivisetseniorit.fi/

15. Urban Mediator
Alternative arrangements for “urban” knowledge
sharing (instead of mere reporting)

16. Design research initiative
Aalto ARTS + City of Helsinki (+ EU
partners)
- Flurry of initiatives from engaged citizens
- Mismatch between those and the ones from the city
- Little understanding of what will “participation” entail due
to lack of shared spaces for experimenting

17. Method: in-between
infrastructuring
A shared place with interfaces for data
Not in control of a single actor
Co-design: in-between infra for experimentation, pilots,
(adaptation, tayloring, design-in-use)

18. Result(s)
-Exploring some of the gaps and bridges between the official
city systems and citizen initiatives to offer a space, in which
experiments could be conducted, proved to be a valuable
strategy
- Implications for the capabilities of the actors involved to
initiate innovations and understand the broader design
http://um.uiah.fi spaces that are available to them.

19. Cleaning day
Alternative arrangements for recycling, up-cycling and
consuming

20. Citizen activist initiative
(volunteers and partners for recycling
points + the city getting interested!)
- Make recycling easy - one man's trash is another man's
treasure (several recycling stations are organized around
Helsinki)
_ Create a dynamic and responsible urban culture
(building on success of legendary Restaurant Day)
- No official organizer, each participant herself acts as an
event organizer. Everybody is responsible for cleaning up
after themselves.

21. Method: infrastructuring
Offer a platform (tools, information, resources, etc) for
citizens to do it themselves & with others

22. Result(s)
- Local stakeholders committed to improving recycling
possibilities (companies, city, citizens)
- Changes in the city policy regarding “use of space and
events” policy
- Ideas for new infrastructuring needs (p2p and in other
combinations
http://www.siivouspaiva.com

23. Loppukiri house:
Active Seniors Association City/citizen/citizens interaction
Cleaning day!
Recyling points
Miinna / ELMS
Urban Mediator / UM
Up-cycling spaces
1) Alternative arrangements 2) Urban Knowledge: reporting 3) Recycling / Up-cycling /
for Growing old or sharing issues? space use
- Experimental attitude (e.g empowering local
officers to take risk, provide recognition,
etc)
- Transparency (when reporting, assigning
responsibility, also open access policies)
- Flexible “bureaucracy” (networking,
recognizing own limitations)
- Design= Midwifing(?) Opening Design
Space

24. Clément takes a picture of us taking a picture of the take overs and give aways from the workshop