ErasmusPCand

Urban Design IrelandExperiences in building a Community of Practice

Why are we here?

• Together we are founders of 2 recent networks– ErasmusPC: the international network for culture and the

development of cities– Urban Design Ireland (Irish designers and planners united)– MSc spatial planning graduates network (third possible

network?)

• Our message today– History– About our networks– Why did we do it, and how did we get things going– Successes– Failures– Lessons– Challenges

History: About us

• Jeroen Lavenjeroen.laven@erasmuspc.comWork: urban policy manager city of Rotterdam (dS+V)

• David O’Connordavid.oconnor@erasmuspc.comWork: Transport Planner

• Our history– 93/94 UCD– Hogans and the Globe– Rotterdam Film Festival

• What’s really happening:– one in every 3 houses built in last 10 years– Island population forecast: 8.1m by 2036– 9+ new towns being developed in Dublin– ad hoc (mostly developer-led) approach– economic growth still 5%+pa (property driven)– immigration at 50,000+ per annum– carbon emissions 25% ahead of 1990 levels– Planning and design industry under pressure

• Time for quality of life / creativity?

Background: Celtic Tiger Ireland

Creativity Initiatives #1ErasmusPC

• www.erasmuspc.com• International network for the relationship between culture and

urban development• Very diverse group: planners, filmmakers, social workers• Members on 5 continents• Including 2 from Sabadell!• Website:

– Observations, Interviews– Questionnaire, news, links

• Live activities:– interviews, meetings, – talks, conference

• Some examples

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Active content

Regular e-bulletins

• www.udi.ie Irish network for planners / designers

• Positives– UDI charter– “…loving urbanism” / ErasmusPC participation – open source urban design– urban design InfoBase– peoples response and enthusiasm for concept

• Problems– hosted remotely (www.irish-architecture.com)– lack of resources to manage content/activities– Summer relaunch initiative

Creativity Initiatives #2Urban Design Ireland

Look & feelStructureActive content

Creativity Initiatives #3MSc Spatial Planning Graduates

• diversity of professional backgrounds• radical planning perspective• workshops

– cultural planning*– public open space planning– personalised travel planning*– marine planning

* articles published on www.erasmuspc.com

• Synergy with ErasmusPC• Brainstorming Session - how to create momentum

Creativity Initiatives #3SUMMER OF URBANISM: examining the basis for planning

Expose LEADER PLACES Good practice examples

ELEMENTS of planning/ urbanism Themes

VISION for the City Public Stories

SPOTLIGHT on planning Different views on planned places

OBJECTIVE AGENT EVENT EXAMPLE

DEVELOPER

GUEST CURATOR

PUBLIC

PROFESSIONALSdeveloper, resident, architect, planner

OPEN COMPETITION / CALL FOR IDEAS

CONFERENCES ON SET OF SPECIFIC THEMES

DISCUSSION AND EXHIBITION

PUBLIC WALKING TOURS, DISCUSSIONS, FILMS

Millennium Walk Adamstown

Marine planning, mobility planning, cultural diversity, light pollution, 3rd Party Appeals, public private partnership, retail impact, open space provision

Paul Auster, True Tales from American Life expressed through stories, drawings, photographs, films etc

Text book places such as Ongar, etc What residents, architects, planners and the developer think

Why did we start our networks?

• Passion for the subject• Passion for sharing knowledge• Curiosity about other peoples ideas • A real intention to teach and learn• Fun • No commercial focus

How did we start ErasmusPC?

• Built a website• Focused on the subject

– but not too much (start first, focus later)• Structured the things we do anyway

– film festival, talks in Dublin, networking, etc• added content to the site

– first content, next discussion

• Opportunistic approach

Success factors

• Drive of few key players – Combination of different qualities of people

• Seduction – (questionnaire – we want you to teach us)

• Live interviews – (big names attract a crowd)

• Flexibility – (lack of focus)

• It’s in English – (Dutch people feel impressed from the start

• Newsletter – (keep people involved)

• Growing is a strategy

Failures

• Dependence on key players• Lack of focus• Site not structured enough yet

– not welcoming enough for newcomers• difficult to get spontaneous input

– we have to drag it out of the non-innercircle• website has reached technical limits• Time!

Our lessons

• Don’t depend on others– You have to make it work yourself!

• It has to be fun• Make it flexible

– If you want the network to be for everybody, give everybody influence

• Crossover approach works• A website is not enough• The site/our initiatives have to give energy

Our challenges

• Continuity (it’s getting out of control)• We need to choose

– Commercial– Hobby

• We need to focus– Diversity is our strength– But we need recognizability

• We need partners – Managing success – the resource issue