USING PATTERNS TACKLING THE COMPLEXITY OF URBAN DESIGN

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USING PATTERNS

TACKLING THE COMPLEXITY OF URBAN DESIGN

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Using Patterns June 18, 2013

End result 1 of 4 of Interdisciplinary Project Group “Better Airport Regions” MSc Industrial Ecology, Delft University of Technology & Leiden University Course code: 4413INTPGY

Authors:

Bas Mentink (basmentink@gmail.com)

Laurence Henriquez (laurencehenriquez@gmail.com) Lisette van Niekerk (lisettevanniekerk@gmail.com) Rhea Verheul (rheaverheul@hotmail.com) Supervisors:

Prof.Dr.Ir. Arjan van Timmeren, Environmental Technology and Design, Delft Ir. Egbert Stolk, Environmental Planning and Ecology, Delft

Dr. René Kleijn, Industrial Ecology, Leiden

NOTE: This material is for educational purposes only and may not be reproduced, displayed, modifi ed or distributed without the prior permission of the IPG BAR Group. The IPG BAR Group has no ownership of images in the booklet unless otherwise noted. If copyright holders wish for their work to be removed please contact us as soon as possible .

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3 USING PATTERNS

Using Patterns is the leading booklet of the threefold IPG BAR pattern methodology. The remaining booklets are Making Patterns and The IPG BAR Pattern Library. Although reading the booklets separately is possible, the methodology is best understood when all three are read. Enjoy your readings!

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IPG BAR T

RILOGY

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THE THEORY BEHIND PATTERNS

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OMPLEXITY IN URBAN PLANNING

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WHAT ARE PATTERNS

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WHAT IS A PATTERN LANGUAGE

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THE IPG BAR PATTERN METHODOLOGY

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AN OVERVIEW

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STEP

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IMMERSE

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SCOPE

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STEP

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CREATE A VISION

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SCENARIO DEVELOPMENT

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OPEN A PATTERN LIBRARY

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START PATTERN SELECTION

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MAKE A PATTERN PLAN

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Are you involved in urban planning as an individual or team? Are you overwhelmed by the complexity of projects and interested in a new way to plan the towns, neighbourhoods and cities of tomorrow?

1

T

he IPG BAR

trilogy

If your answer is yes’ to any of the questions above, this booklet trilogy belongs in your hands. Using Patterns, Making Patterns and The IPG BAR Pattern Library will present the theory and practises behind pattern languages and show how they can benefi t the design methodology of sustainable urban planning. Though this might be a new concept for you, the use of patterns within urban design has been studied and written about for decades. So whether you are a fi rst year architecture student or veteran urban planner, patterns have something valuable to offer. The IPG BAR Group hopes the six-step method, together with the handbook for creating patterns and the pattern library (fi gure 1), will demonstrate the usefulness of patterns within the design process and that users include them in their future projects.

In a nutshell...

• Audience - All stakeholders involved in urban planning.

• Goal – To convince all relevant stakeholders of an urban

design case (e.g. SAMR) to start using patterns as a part of a design strategy or method.

• Theory – Briefl y; about the complexity of urban planning,

patterns and its network.

• Methodology - Using Patterns: In six steps the reader is

guided through the IPG pattern methodology. Making Patterns provides a systematic approach for writing patterns yourself.

• Practice – The Schiphol Airport Metropolitan Region (SAMR)

has been chosen as a case study to test the methodology. Throughout this booklet you will fi nd examples and references of this case study on the right page.

1

THE IPG BAR PATTERN

L A N G U A G E

URBAN-AIRPORT SYMBIOSIS AROUND PHYSICAL FLOWS

Bas Mentink - Laurence Henriquez - Lisette van Niekerk - Rhea Verheul

USING PATTERNS

TACKLING THE COMPLEXITY OF URBAN DESIGN

MAKING PATTERNS

YOUR OWN BUILDING BLOCKS OF A PATTERN PLAN

• The IPG BAR Pattern Library is an interrelated set of 18 patterns with a focus on sustainable urban design within the context of the SAMR. It can be regarded an integrated part of the IPG BAR design methodology. • It also illustrates the “grammatical”

or connective nature of patterns within the accompanying pattern network.

• Whether you are an experienced practitioner with a new solution that you’d like to share with others or you feel that existing patterns are ineffective or provide unsuitable solutions your project, this booklet provides a step-by-step guide to making effective patterns that may be added to the (global) pattern network.

• This leading booklet contains the six-step methodology for pattern development.

• It will outline the modern diffi culties

of urban planning and propose a new solution to assist planners and architects in designing the sustainable society of the future.

Figure 1. The threefold IPG BAR pattern methodology, consisting of Using Patterns (blue), The IPG BAR Pattern Library (green) and Making Patterns (red).

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Text case study

CASE STUDY - SAMR

1 / T H E T H E O R Y

BEHIND PATTERNS

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THE THEORY BEHIND PATTERNS

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COMPLEXITY IN URBAN PLANNING

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WHAT ARE PATTERNS

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1

The modern urban planner will have an important role in the coming decades as vast swaths of the global population continue to migrate from regions of low economic activity to urban regions of high economic activity.

Sadly, this trend towards urbanization has come at a steep

price. According to the latest IEA reports, Global CO₂ emissions

have increased steadily by at least 2 percent annually since 1985, putting the planet on track to warming up by as much as 5 degrees by 2100. Temperature increase of this magnitude could have serious global ramifi cations such as fl ooding of coastal cities and island nations, disruptions to agriculture and drinking water, the spread of diseases and the extinction of fl ora and fauna. The complex nature of global warming places an enormous burden on planners, designers, and other public and private decision makers in transitioning our resource intensive society to one that is climate-neutral. Apart from this seemingly daunting task, the needs of innumerable stakeholders within a wide range of domains and scales, both geographically and temporally, must be met (fi gure 2).

In 1987, the UN-established Brundtland Commission fi rst introduced the idea that future generations are stakeholders within sustainable development. Other defi nitions include ecological limitations stressing that future regions should rely less on inputs (energy, material, water, food etc.) from outside their system boundaries and focus more on aligning local demands with local supply, closing material and energy loops. To fully realize these loops, even on a regional-level, can turn into a dubious task. For these reasons planners must strive to solve problems locally, no matter the ubiquity of globalisation.

To create a world where we can all fl ourish for centuries to come, we must fi rst broaden our understanding of sustainability.

We have to pay more attention to the health and well-being of the inhabitants of our global society, especially those in developing nations whose economies continue urbanize and, as a consequence, emit more greenhouse gases. This defi nition must also include the ecosystems that act as our planet’s life-support system. Furthermore, we should strive to live together in equality since the poorest of the world will not be able to live sustainably without the necessary means and education. The long time frames involved with regional master plans make it all but impossible to foresee potential future developments. As such, future societies must be designed and constructed to make resilience, or the capacity to respond to disturbances such as extreme weather or fallouts by resisting the damage and recovering quickly, a top priority.

How can we tackle the complex requirements of sustainable urban planning?

Realistically, it would probably take a lifetime to learn about every facet of sustainable urban planning. In the end you still have to plan, decide and act. We must fi rst let go of the conventional thought that we understand everything or that through technology all our problems can be solved. Instead, we have to start planning with the grain of uncertainty, trying to be more holistic, long-term and adapt to unexpected developments instead of ignoring them. We have to create a happy medium between conventional top-down approaches of design and planning, and alternative bottom-up approaches.

Patterns are the answer

After acknowledging the complex nature of sustainable urban planning, we propose patterns as a method to tackle this complexity. As you will soon read, patterns are multifaceted and can be used to handle uncertainty while also increasing fl exibility and resilience of your projects, regardless of the scale.

C

omplexity in

urban planning

Patterns are the answer to the complex task of sustainable urban planning.

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Figure 1. The complexity of planning and desinging cities and regions consists of all these stakeholders, domains and imensions.

INTRODUCTION TO CASE STUDY - SAMR

The blue boxes found throughout this booklet show examples of applying patterns to our case study, the Schiphol Airport Metropolitan Region (SAMR). The SAMR case originates from the research of the Better Airport Regions (BAR) research group of TU Delft. The pattern language methodology described in this booklet strives to assists BAR research towards their main goal; developing applicable knowledge and adequate instruments to act in complex urban environments, for reasons described on the previous page.

The goal of our case study is to investigate the use of patterns to improve the sustainability of airport regions. Airports have a dynamic effect on the urban landscape, not only as a transport hub, but also as an employer, energy consumer and polluter. This makes airports perfect case studies for sustainable urban planning because of their potentially large impact on the surrounding urban environment. Mutually benefi cial relationships, or reciprocities, between Schiphol Airport and urban surroundings are paramount as essential fl ows (energy, water, materials, food and mobility) can be used to their full potential to meet the needs of urban regions. Ultimately, a system of reciprocities should create closed loops of these essential fl ows and require no input from, or output to other regions to fulfi l its own needs. We see the patterns of urban airport symbiosis in our pattern library as an adequate instrument to establish and/or improve these reciprocities.

Figure 2. An illustration of the wide range of stakeholders, domains and scales involved in urban planning. The domains are mutually dependent, which increased the level of complexity.

Figure 3. Potential reciprocities between Schiphol and urban surroundings

Amstelveen Amstelveen Amsterdam Amsterdam Aalsmeer Aalsmeer Westfl ank Westfl ank Haarlem Haarlem Hoofddorp Hoofddorp Nieuw-Vennep Nieuw-Vennep

Stakeholders

Domains

Scales

you food nutrients biodiversity green waste water recreation days weeks

years time space

decades centuries global continental national regional local months energy material use mobility housing elderly youth government municipalities multinationals industries SMEs ??? ??? students farmers users organizations families

Domains

food nutrients biodiversity green waste water recreation energy material use mobility housing ???

Stakeholders

you elderly youth government municipalities multinationals industries SMEs ??? students farmers users organizations families

Scales

days weeks

years time space

decades centuries global continental national regional local months

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pattern is a building block of knowledge which can work as a framework for your design plan. Christopher Alexander wrote that “each pattern represents our current best guess as to what arrangement of the physical environment will work to solve the problem presented.” We should bear in mind, however, that the solutions offered by patterns are still hypotheses that are tentative to change, no matter how much empirical evidence exists to support it. They evolve with technology and society to create more effective solutions. Some pattern solutions, particularly ones that work on larger scales, may not even have the empirical evidence needed to justify them because they have never been tested before. In these cases the author should try to argue why the solution is the optimal one.

Even though there is no universally accepted pattern format, in the IPG BAR library we propose a pattern that consists of the following elements: (1) an evocative title; (2) a hypothesis that summarizes the purpose of the pattern; (3) the context in which the pattern exists in; (4) a section describing the main problem facing the planners; (5) a section that describes the forces within the context that backup the particular solution; (6) the chosen solution; (7) a section listing related patterns within the pattern network; and (8) real world examples of best practices. The right page is reserved for visualizations and diagrams that support the pattern.

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“A pattern describes a problem which occurs over and over again in our environment, and then describes the core of the solution to that problem in such a way that you can use this solution a million times over, without ever doing it the same way twice.” - Christopher Alexander

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W

hat are

patterns?

A good pattern is more than a simple line about a recurring solution for a recurring problem.

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Fertile Waste: Managing Your Domestic Sewage (Harper, 1994)

BIOMASS

The Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF) built more than 20 urine diverting dry toilet buildings for schools as demonstration projects in the Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (WECF, 2006)

FLOW

SAMR opportunities - Schiphol is Europe’s forth-busiest airport by volume, attracting over 50 million passengers annually. urine and fecal waste can be effectively used as an alternative source of multinutrient fertilizer that contains nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) (Harper, 1994). Via the use of separator toilets Schiphol can easily capture these waste streams for use in the surrounding agricultural areas while reducing the amount of raw sewage produced and processed onsite.

[C] Organic fertilizer [C] Biogas from organic waste

Context: In the future dwindling natural resources will lead to increased price for basic igredients of fertilzer. Problem: Traditional fl ush toilet systems found throughout the Netherlands send wastewater to treatment plants nearby, in the process squandering potential sources of nutrients and compost that can be utilized in agricultural areas in the form of “humanure”.

Forces:

1. Airports serve an integral role in urban landscape and require rest rooms

2. Nutrients of fertilizer are non-renewable, sometimes derived from petroleum products

3. In resource scare future waste streams= resource streams Solution: Urine and fecal waste can be converted into a multinutrient fertilizer that contains nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K)

Improving UA symbiosis through the utilization of unused toilet waste [Urine diversion|Urine-separating NoMix toilet|Dry toilets]

P

OINT SOURCE WASTE

WATER SEPERATATION

1

Figure 1 - Example of separator toilet (Van Engelen, 2007)

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FLOW BIOMASS

Practical Guidance on the Use of Urine in Crop Production (EcoSanRes, 2010)

[L] Point-source wastewater seperation [C] Logistical urban farming network [H] Efficient Waste refining facilities

SAMR opportunities - Schiphol is Europe’s forth busiest airport by volume, attracting over 50 million passengers annually, Once collected, urine and feaces can either be stored or applied immediately. This fertilizer can be used in the agricultural areas surrounding Schiphol or sold on the commodities market.

Context - Cost of traditional NPK sources creates push for maximization of material extraction from waste. Problem - Chemical fertilizers cause a signifi cant decline in soil health including soil organic matter and crop productivity. In the future phosphorus, an integral part of fertilizer, will become scarcer and create a burden on food supply and prices. Forces

1. Airports serve an integral role in urban landscape and require rest rooms.

2. Nutrients of fertilizer are non-renewable, sometimes derived from petroleum products

3. Waste streams = resource streams

Solution - Humanwaste can be effectively used as an alternative source of multinutrient fertilizer that contains nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) by using it directly or converting waste into struvite, a useable fertizler (N-P-K: 4-29-0) (Cordell et. al, 2011)

Utilizing human waste as NPK fertilizer source

[Natural fertilizing|Bio-NPK fertilizer]

O

RGANIC FERTILIZER

2

Piliot plants in Washington, Oregon, Alberta (Ostara, 2013)

FLOW

Figure 3- Organic fertilzier reclaimation (EcoSanRes, 2010)

These two patterns, Organic fertilizer and Point source waste water separation are part of the IPG BAR pattern library and illustrate the structure of patterns. These two examples also introduce the need for combinations of patterns. Urine waste is a good solution for the phosphorus requirements of fertilizer, but before it can be used it must be collected separately. That is where Point source waste water separation’ comes into play.

This is only a simple example, but imagine how all patterns can be connected on different scales and across different domains. We will get deeper into pattern relations and pattern languages in the next chapter (Ch. 4) and in ‘Making a pattern plan‘ (Ch. 9).

Fertile Waste: Managi (Harper, 1994) The Women built more than for schools as de Europe, Caucasus an

Good patterns

contain at least:

(1) Title

(2) Hypothesis

(3) Context

(4) Problem

(5) Forces

(6) Solution

Diagrams

(7) Pattern relations

(8) Examples

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The instrument with which you combine patterns is called a pattern language. A perfect way to understand what a pattern language is would be to compare it to a natural language. Words can be combined into an near infi nite number of permutations to form a sentence, yet it is only when they are combined in a particular way, based on the rules or grammar and syntax, that they actually make sense.

Increasing the scale to that of a story, even if a semblance of words is understood by the reader, only a certain combina-tion of sentences creates masterpieces like those of Shakespeare, Neruda and Orwell. Thus, ‘good’ sentences and stories can be regarded as solutions to higher-level communication problems by effectively conveying complex ideas. As you will soon see, the hierarchal nature of natural languages also exists within pattern languages.

A planner can understand their ideas as patterns and com-bine them with each other in a specifi c and sensible way, creating a basic ‘story’ of his or her master plan. In making this story, the designer can make use of ready-made design solutions, or words, or even whole excerpts of previous pattern plans, reduce plan-ning time and increase the effi cacy of their projects. This can be further extrapolated to the communication of a design or plan. Just like how natural language is easier to understand when two people speak the same language, designs and plans can be bet-ter understood if people with different backgrounds ‘speak the same pattern language. In this way, patterns used in a plan are then familiar to others, accelerating understanding and hopefully encouraging collaboration.

The necessity of pattern languages arise from (a) the need to understand (and possibly infl uence) complex systems and (b) as an important design tool to assist in creating a master plan that is both structurally and functionally coherent. Nikos Salinga-ros writes in his paper “The structure of pattern languages”, that

it is important to realize that “the rules by which the patterns

con-nect are just as important as the patterns themselves.” Grammar of the pattern language

When patterns are combined they create paths for higher-level patterns that are both more resilient and exhibits additional properties that lower level patterns do not have. A higher-level pattern cannot be predicted from the lower-level patterns alone. This can be understood as emergence, where the system is more than the sum of its individual parts. In this regard, a pattern language can be viewed as a large network where nodes represent patterns and links represent the relationships between them (see fi gure 4). In a good architectural pattern library, multiple scales are present, especially the intermediate scale, otherwise the As each pattern describes only one scalar solution to a problem in a speciﬁc context, their usefulness becomes more apparent when combined with other patterns that exist within a similar context.

W

hat is a pattern

language?

3

higher level and lower level patterns will not be able to connect

(fi gure 7).However, a pattern language must not be seen as an

inverted tree either, because it has multiple tops and horizontal relations. It has a complex hierarchical structure with different scales and interconnections. For example, patterns at the same level can loosely coexist, providing alternative solutions for the same problem or can complement each other.

To get a better understanding of the interconnections between patterns, the key types of pattern relationships are listed below, along with an example from the IPG BAR Pattern Library: Generalized – Specialized patterns

• Two patterns share and work on the same principle, but

differ in the level of abstraction. Generalized patterns are more conceptual and have more design freedom, whereas specialized patterns are more applied.

• For example, ‘Thermal roads’ is a generalized pattern relative

to ‘Thermal landing strip’, which is applied to solely airstrips. Complementary patterns

• Two patterns are complementary when one needs the other

for completeness or to create synergy.

• For example, to make ‘Organic fertilizer’ from urine and

faecal waste you will fi rst need ‘Point-source wastewater

separation’ to collect it.

Higher Level – Lower Level patterns

• Distinct patterns share a similar structure, thus implying a

higher-level connection. Smaller patterns are embedded in larger ones, the higher level, which provide the structure within which the smaller, lower level patterns can exist. • For example, ‘Effi cient Waste Refi ning Facilities’ is on

a higher level than ‘Organic Fertilizer’. Where ‘Organic Fertilizer’ is part of ‘Effi cient Waste Refi ning Facilities’ as a tree is part of a forest.

Overlapping and coexisting patterns

• Two patterns solve different problems that overlap and

coexist on the same level. Although providing different solutions, these patterns may compete for available surface or space for necessary infrastructure.

• For example, ‘Constructed wetlands’ and ‘Airport grasslands’

serve different purposes, but exist on the same level. Depending on the surface area available, these patterns may or may not coexist.

Alternative Patterns

• Two patterns solve the same problem in alternative, equally valid ways. Note that this does not necessary imply competing. Depending on the size urban design, an alternative solution may coexist.

A planner can understand their ideas as patterns and combine them with each other in a speciﬁc and sensible way.

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Australian polymath Nikos A. Salingaros often collaborated with Christopher Alexander and wrote a critique of A Pattern Language (1977). His paper discusses the importance of the language that links the patterns, as “the connective information helps both to validate the patterns, and to apply them”. According to Salingaros, “Each pattern represents a rule governing one working piece of a complex system, and the application of pattern language can be done systematically. (...) A language tells you which of them can be combined, and in what manner, in order to create a higher-level pattern”. In his work he emphasizes the need for connections on a multi-level network. We list three of his possible structures to get a better understanding of levels in a pattern network. For further reading we refer to his paper; Salingaros, N. (2000). “The structure of pattern languages.” Architectural Research Quarterly 4(02): 149-162..

MORE INFO - SALINGAROS

P

[G]

P

[H]

P

[L]

P

[A]

P

[C]

F

IELDOFSOLUTIONS

- S

PECTRUM

P

[S] Generalize [G] to Specialize [S] Complementary [C] Higher level [H] to Lower level [L] Alternative [A] PATTERN COLOR = FLOWTYPE RELATEDPATTERN W/ RELATIONSHIP [X] WRT P P[X] P

Figure 4. The grammar of the IPG BAR pattern language

Figure 5. “Hierarchical connections show how patterns on higher levels depend on those on lower levels”

Figure 6. “Patterns on one level combine to help define a new pattern on a higher level.”

Figure 7. “Two groups of patterns are too far apart in scale to connect effectively.”

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2\THE IPG BAR

P A T T E R N

M E T H O D O L O G Y

Now you are familiar with patterns and pattern languages, we show you how a patterns can be used as an integral part of a design methodology for sustainable urban planning.

SECTION

2 -

THE IPG BAR PATTERN METHODOLOGY

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AN OVERVIEW

14 5\

STEP

1 -

IMMERSE

&

SCOPE

16 6\

STEP

2 -

CREATE A VISION

18 7\

STEP

3 -

SCENARIO DEVELOPMENT

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STEP

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OPEN A PATTERN LIBRARY

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STEP

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START PATTERN SELECTION

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MAKE A PATTERN PLAN

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4

Now you have a good understanding of the concept of patterns and its signiﬁcance to the urban planning, you can start applying the theory to your case. This chapter gives a summary of the six-step IPG BAR pattern methodology.

The IPG BAR pattern methodology links patterns with the future outlook of a design case and its environment. An overview of the methodology is shown in fi gure 8. It shows the current state of a case on the left side and the optimal desired state on the right. The bridge in-between represents the development of the case in time. Examining this development, we identify two main ‘shapers’ of the path towards the future state. These are; 1) visions and 2) scenarios. A shared vision expresses the internal drive for change, whereas scenarios aim to map the internal and external (future) developments. The point of departure is an analyses and problem defi nition of the current situation.

In the following six-steps we incorporate these ‘shapers’ and combine them with patterns.

1. Immerse and scope

Before working with patterns it is essential that you identify the problem you are attempting to solve. Getting to the core of the problem requires an understanding of the what, who, where, etc.. You must first immerse yourself into the case and then scope the problem accordingly.

2. Create a vision

Once a clear overview of your project and problem is made, it’s time to create goals for the future (time frame) and a shared vision with your project team. Accordingly, you must gauge how the stakeholders involved foresee a sustainable city or region in several decades.

3. Scenario development

You might already have a particular future vision in mind, but because of uncertain future developments, the ideal outcome and reality are not always the same. Scenarios that incorporate both expected and unexpected outlooks help to map potential realities that facilitate or impede your project from reaching its goals.

4. Open a pattern library

Now patterns come into play. In this chapter three existing pattern libraries are examined, including The IPG BAR Pattern Library.

5. Start pattern selection

The challenge will be to fi nd a combination of patterns within your library that functions well in all scenarios. The patterns should be evaluated by their usefulness and performance. 6. Make a pattern plan

In the fi nal step, a roadmap for designing a plan for the future given, with special attention for the pattern relationships in the network.

Bear in mind that this method is non-linear and doesn’t need to be completed in chronological order (Figure 9). Steps 2 and 3 can be done simultaneously, or in reverse order. Conveniently, we propose following the methodology from step 1 to 6, as some steps build on accumulated knowledge. During the methodology we regard evaluation and revision as integral sub-step in all stages, paying greater attention in the future when you have started with the implementation of the pattern based design.

In chapter 5 to 10 these steps are elaborated and underpinned where necessary with examples of the SAMR case-study (on the right page). Let’s turn the page and start!

A

n overview

The IPG BAR links vision and scenarios to patterns in a six-step design methodology.

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Figure 8. A schematic overview of the six-step IPG BAR pattern methodology.

Figure 9. A schematic overview of the six-step IPG BAR pattern methodology.

NOW FUTURE SCENARIOS Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3 pattern plan Scenario 4 Vision

+

Optimal / Desired State in all scenario’s TIME DEVELOPMENT

step 3 - Scenario development

step 4 - Open a pattern library step 5 - Start pattern selection step 1 - Immerse & Scope

step 2 - Create a vision

step 6 - Make a pattern plan

Problem definition & focus TIME START

1 Immerse &

Scope

2 Create

a vision

3 Scenario

develop-ment

4 Open a

pattern

library

5 Start

pattern

selection

6 Make a

pattern

plan

Reflect,

revise

(adjust)

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One of the most important aspects of pattern development is immersing yourself in your case to get to the core of the problem and scoping it properly so to direct your focus.

Understanding your problem is vital to fi nding the appropriate solutions. Though this might seem like an obvious statement, the diffi culty of defi ning the problem shouldn’t be underestimated. You already might have experienced it yourself and struggled with defi ning your project well. Before designing, you had to create a well-formulated problem statement, manageable in scope and collect substantive data on which you built these decisions. Maybe you once thought of a great solution but it didn’t work because it ended up solving a completely different problem or because the problem had changed or had been different all along.

Finding the right problems and formulating the right questions is often the most diffi cult part of a problem-solving and/or pattern making process because fully understanding the problem requires fully understanding the context of your case. Of everything you deem important, whether it be buildings, public spaces, stakeholders, ongoing developments, history, infrastructures, or anything from most abstract to concrete, you need to know the who, what, where, when and why. All these answers help in understanding why things are the way they are today and to estimate how it might turn out in the future. Effective scoping

Remember to scope correctly so you don’t end up trying to summarize the whole world. Its unnecessary and practically impossible to accomplish. It is not possible to formulate both a concrete and generic tip on when to start and stop immersing and scoping. However, to help guide you we present our cases on the right side of the fi gure complete with some great examples of

other sources on the left side. Furthermore, here is a list of some things you should take into consideration:

• Who is part of your case? Your stakeholders will determine

what kind of solutions can be executed at the end, so it might make sense to scope and limit the case to the range of infl uence of your partners.

• What is part of your case? Your range of infl uence sets some

geographical limits, such as municipal borders.

• What capabilities do your partners have? The involved stakeholders together have a specifi c set of capabilities, expertise, knowledge, etc.. It will probably not be possible to act outside the limits of your capabilities, so either involve new people or scope to what you are capable of accomplishing.

• What is the scale of your case? Most types of problems

have a particular scale in terms of both space and time where they are most relevant. Higher and lower scales are relevant but to a lesser degree when you don’t need to be specifi c (e.g. regional urban plans aim for least 30 year time scales) whereas companies (which could be some of your stakeholders) often stop their vision after 5 years and are only concerned with their company grounds and where their suppliers and customers are.

The iterative nature of immersing and scoping can be derived from these aspects as well. Setting the scope of your problem cannot be done without knowing your problem, but knowing where to dive in and where not cannot begin without scoping.

If you are stuck, move on

We hope you feel able to effectively immerse and scope your case, If not, our suggestion is to just move on to the next step, albeit only temporarily. Also feel comfortable with spending half your time on immersing and scoping if you need to. After all, having a thorough understanding of your project is fundamental to the design process.

5

1

Immerse &

scope

Immersing and scoping is an iterative and essential process necessary to map your case and create the fundamental of your design process.

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v

CASE STUDY - SAMR

17

Research project “Better Airport Regions” summary on NWO

website was the start of problem formulation.

Sustainability involves many interrelated aspects.

A lot of data on physical fl ows to process. What are the possible exchanges

of heat, biomass and water?

Source: Except

Source: Better Airport Regions, TU Delft Source: Linköping University

A lot of possibilities What are the possibilities of exchanges of heat near

Badhoevedorp and biomass near Westfl ank area? Focus on physical fl ows from an industrial ecology perspective. For

Urban-Airport Symbiosis. ->

How can airports make urban surroundings more sustainable? How to make SAMR more sustainable?

IMMERSION

SCOPE

oc perform OPTIMAL USE OF ENERGY POTENTIALS BETTER SPATIAL INTEGRATION NORMATIVE VIEW: 'BETTER' IN WHICH SENSE? according to NORMATIVE VIEW: PERCEIVED POTENTIAL according to AIRPORT REGION physiology performance has has has

relates to relates to relates to ds/causes affords/causes QUALIT 1 Vita 2 Sen 3 Fi 4 Acce 5 Cont 6 Efficienc justic OF FLOWS Water Energy Food Packaging People OF FLOWS Efficiency Self-sufficiency Closed cycles Inter-relations ... conceptual model of the airport region environmental environmental social economic economic

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Ideally, stakeholders that are affected by the your project should be represented in the decision making process even if they are normally not involved. In the Schiphol case, for example, it could be decided to involve representatives from the surrounding municipalities, smaller business within the region or even frequent travellers.

Instead of relying on the overall vision for any particular organization you should create a separate vision on sustainability performance. This will make it easier to apply to your design choices at a later stage. If both the general vision and the sustainability vision refl ect your organization’s core values they should easily align.

Vision formulation

Though our research does not focus on how to create the best possible vision for your organization we do have some recommendations that may help in formulating one:

1. Before creating a vision for the future, you must determine both the core values and the core purpose of your organization. Core values are the values that are inherent to your organization while core purpose is the most fundamental reason for your

organization’s existence. In most cases, your core values and purpose will not have much to do with sustainability. Knowing those core values and purpose will make is much easier to formulate a vision that is unique and fi tting to your organization.

2. Make sure to develop both hard and soft vision elements. Hard elements are specifi c and measurable, such as a certain intended decrease of emissions. Soft elements say something about the identity of your organization and its role within the larger environment. An example of a soft element is the statement that an organization will be leading in sustainable innovations.

3. The goals of your vision should not be a sure bet; rather, it should elicit a ‘gulp’ from stakeholders who hear it for the fi rst time. Visions should inspire the employees and business partners, thereby increasing the chance that it will become a reality. A shared vision

Sustainability problems virtually always exceed an organizations’ boundaries. It is important to develop a shared vision that includes local governments, private business and the public at large so that real change can be accomplished. This can be done either by involving multiple actors in creating a vision from scratch or by a joint effort in constructing a single vision from the various visions that already exist.

6

2

Create a

vision

A shared vision expresses the drive for sustainable change that stakeholders can agree upon.

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19 CASE STUDY - SAMR

Schiphol Group

“We want to be a leader in environmental innovations. (…) It is our intention to achieve a sustainable energy and water management programme, as well as to improve air quality. (…) Firstly, we aim for our activities at Schiphol to be CO2-neutral by 2012. Secondly, by 2020 the CO2 emissions of all Schiphol-based activities must be reduced to 70% of the 1990 levels.”

Amsterdam

“The municipality of Amsterdam has the ambition to reduce CO2 emissions within the territory of the municipality by 75% in 2040 compared to 1990. (…) Amsterdam chooses to be a frontrunner, an actor that shows what is possible and that it is indeed possible, thereby appealing to citizens, companies and other municipalities to follow this example.”

• Beyond compliance in at least some areas.

• Schiphol Group is interested in being a pioneer (developing new technologies).

• Quite large focus on energy savings.

• In general, because Schiphol Group is a profi t-seeking

company, it will look for sustainability investments that offer fi nancial benefi ts as well, either directly (cost savings) or indirectly (other companies and travellers prefer SG over other airports because of its green image).

• Amsterdam Wants to be a pioneer in sustainable development, mainly in the areas of mobility, sustainable energy sources and green fi nancing.

• Municipality takes the lead, even if not everybody is on board.

• In 2040, the city is powered by renewable energy. Major

emission reductions have been achieved.

• Municipality’s role is not limited to regulation and stimulation; the city itself will invest (taxpayer’s) money in sustainable development.

As we couldn’t convene the stakeholders of the SAMR, we made use of a number of public documents made available by the Schiphol Group and the municipalities of Haarlemmermeer and Amsterdam to develop a cohesive vision. For our fi nal analysis we only focused on the vision of Schiphol Group. The studied documents of Schiphol Group and Haarlemmermeer concerned their general visions, whereas the vision of Amsterdam was only about energy. Additionally the share of “hard” and “soft” vision elements differed quite a bit, making direct comparison somewhat diffi cult.

Figure 10. A grasp of SAMR stakeholders mapped out, including private actors, public actors, indirect private actors, users and future generations.

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Scenario development can be regarded as substantiated fortune-telling with multiple possible futures. As the future is partly unpredictable, you will have to create several scenarios to map these unknowns. Together, these scenarios depict a wide range of possible developments that wouldn’t be considered in a linear planning method. Scenarios should be founded; a messy collection of unrelated and unsubstantiated facts fail to convince stakeholders and risk a bad design. This shouldn’t discourage you in describing bold, over-the-top futures though. History has shown that technical or environmental developments were often more far-reaching than forecasted.

Scenario building is especially useful when planning for the medium to long-term. In a short time frame with low uncertainty, developing prognoses may be the better option instead. When there are many uncertainties, which usually occurs within a long time frame, one might choose to focus on speculations instead of scenarios.

Types of scenarios

Scenarios can be classifi ed in several ways. First, the scope and time frame infl uence the scenario’s content. The choice for a certain scope is not always obvious. When you are designing for a pre-specifi ed location, focusing on this area seems logical. However, if stakeholders are also active outside these borders, your system boundary might need to be increased. Nationwide and global events might also infl uence developments within the region of choice. Second, scenarios can be both qualitative or quantitative. In the latter case, modelling can provide the desired numbers. Third, descriptive or normative scenarios can be distinguished.

In this methodology, scenarios function as a mean to test the patterns and pattern plan you want to implement. We would advise you to focus on developments that you have little or no infl uence over, such as attitudes of the general public and high-level government policies, and write them down in a descriptive way. The resulting scenarios will be suited to test the performance of individual patterns and the subsequent pattern plan.

Criteria for scenario development

The largest challenge for scenario development is being inventive and structured at the same time. The following

roadmap used by the IPG BAR Group meets this challenge. In case this method doesn’t suit you, we refer to the suggested literature (see further reading) for other methods of scenario development. If pressed for time, using existing urban environment and/or

sustainability scenarios can speed up the process. We propose

the following steps for a reasonably quick scenario development process:

1. Determine the exact subject you want to learn about and your time frame. The topic ‘The future of shopping’ will have different information requirements than sustainable development opportunities in Schiphol’s the urban region. 2. Make a list of elements or potential developments that relate

to your subject and describe for each element the strength of this relationship.

3. For all strongly related elements, identify which are reasonably certain (the basic trends) and which are highly uncertain (the critical uncertainties). The basic trends form the stable context in all scenarios; the critical uncertainties form the divisions between the scenarios.

4. Within the critical uncertainties choose two which are most important and infl uential to your project. Now a two-dimensional scale can be created (Figure 12). Group the other uncertainties accordingly. If you are unable to bring the number of the most important and critical uncertainties down to two, you could choose to use more dimensions, although this will unavoidably make developing the scenarios more diffi cult.

5. Check for internal consistency and plausibility and identify further research needs. Fill in the gaps that you identifi ed. 6. Write down the fi nal scenarios in an evocative narrative.

Finally, we stress the importance of stakeholder participation again, as knowledge sharing speeds up and improves the accuracy of the scenario development process signifi cantly. If major stakeholders and experts can not be involved throughout the entire process, try to gather feedback of your preliminary scenarios during step four and fi ve. If stakeholders and experts are not available, necessary information may be obtained from literature, yet this strategy is not preferred.

7

3

Scenario

development

Mapping the external and internal future developments of scenarios will help to instil resilience within your design plan.

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Text case study

CASE STUDY - SAMR

For our scenario study, we focused on developments that cannot directly be infl uenced by Schiphol or the municipalities. This concerns both global/regional and nationwide developments and the general attitudes of citizens. All scenarios are created for 2040, since urban planners usually choose a time frame of around 30-40 years.

Figure 11. Fragment of table of critical uncertainties Key uncertainty: Prosperous - less prosperous

Development Dependence on key

uncertainty

Importance for scenarios

Government investment in road infrastructure Medium Medium

Need for infrastructural capacity High Medium/High

Government investment in public transport infrastructure Medium High

(Government) investment in conventional energy (infrastructure) Low-Medium High

(Government) investment in new/sustainable technologies High High

Core assumptions about the future - ‘The stable context’

• Kerosene is still the only commercially available fuel for airplanes.

• Oil prices will not come down dramatically  energy will never be very cheap.

• Global warming is happening.

• Rules regarding noise and emission restrictions will not become less stringent.

High prosperity Low prosperity Sustainability is central Sustainability is peripheral

Figure 12. Scenarios of an (un)sustainable future of SAMR.

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It is now time to open a pattern library. In this chapter we will examine various existing pattern libraries, including Alexander’s A Pattern Language, The Pattern Book #1 created by students at TU Delft’s European Master’s in Urbanism (EMU), and The IPG BAR Pattern Library.

A pattern library can be understood as a glossary of patterns. Each of the libraries has its own strengths and limitations that you can judge for yourself so that in the end, you can create your own pattern library.

Christopher Alexander’s A Pattern Language

Alexander organizes his library of 253 patterns in such a way that each pattern attempts to “capture the invariant property common to all places which succeed in solving the problem”. He explicitly accepts the strengths or weakness of his solutions and identifi es their level of importance accordingly with asterisks. His patterns are also ordered by scale in a sequence, beginning with the largest patterns (i.e. regions, cities, towns) and eventually working down to individual buildings and rooms. His patterns are designed in an open way, allowing for users to create pattern networks appropriate to the scale of their project.

Alexander gets quite philosophical about his patterns, going so far as to call them, “archetypal— so deeply rooted in the nature of things, that it seems likely that they will be a part of human nature,” and, “the archetypal core of all possible pattern languages.” The patterns follow the context-problem-solution model, Each consisting of: (1) a catchy title with an accompanying picture; (2) an introduction that sets up the context of the pattern in relation to other larger patterns; (3) a problem statement that is put in bold, (4) a thorough section for theory; (5) a solution placed in bold with accompanying charts; (6) and a concluding statement that includes any other patterns (written in all capital letters) that the authors believed were relevant.

Despite Alexander being the originator of pattern language theory, it is not without its share of criticism. For one, it is very broad in its scope, some of the information is dated, and it is so radical in its intention that it is often times not compatible with contemporary architecture and planning theory. Secondly, Alexander includes instructions for users to create their own pattern libraries, but his method is paper based i.e. analogue (see the colour box on the right page). Third and most important, the text is quite verbose and more visual explanation should be added to facilitate quick understanding and easy use.

EMU’s The Pattern Book #1

Within EMU’s Pattern Book #1, the authors’ approach patterns from a strict urban design perspective. The EMU students use patterns to make sense of the ‘complicatedness’ arising from the large quantities of information accumulated during the design process. It is plainly stated that information was added to the pattern book in a “random and incremental process”. Their patterns are organized in a familiar format, with the problem and the solution aspect the pattern included in the hypothesis section. The “Practical Implications” section makes no reference to any particular context but explains that if designers want to use the pattern they might need to do further research based on the scope of their project . The “See also” section indicates what other patterns the authors felt are related. The relations between patterns are visualized in the “Pattern Field” chapter of the booklet.

EMU’s 105 patterns are quite abbreviated and generally lack any way of understanding the relations between the patterns within the network, which hampers the effective use of patterns. The “Pattern Field“ section succeeds at visualizing the complex relationship between patterns yet it does not explain why or how they are related and at what scale the patterns work on. Furthermore, the pattern fi eld is so cluttered that the edges that connect the patterns completely engulf certain pattern names near the centre, making it chore to decipher the extent of all the relationships within the fi eld.

The IPG BAR Pattern Library

The IPG BAR Pattern Library is organized along similar lines to both Alexander and EMU pattern libraries but differs in key ways. For starters it’s quite small in comparison with only 18 patterns. The patterns are similarly designed in a straightforward problem- context-solution format, with the addition of a driving forces section, an alternative names section, best practices section and best sources section. Unlike the other libraries that are broader in scope, the IPG BAR library focuses on patterns of physical fl ows for sustainable urban design within the context of the SAMR. The pattern library is also separated into three fl ow categories: biomass, water, and energy. The patterns are further differentiated between those that optimize energy/material use and those that increase spatial integration. As described at the end of chapter 1, the IPG pattern network serves to not only illustrate the relationship between patterns, but the nature of the relationships (i.e. higher or lower level patterns, specifi c or generalized) as well. The IPG group views this pattern library as the fi rst step to creating a digital, open source, and user-generated language whose patterns can be modifi ed, removed or expounded upon ad infi nitum (see colour box).

8

4

Open a pattern

library

Pattern libraries vary in focus, set up and network, but all libraries share core elements.

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23

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Soft interventions for nature areas 009

Natural areas can be used by humans in a way its activities do not harm the integrity and regenerative processes of the place.

The first natural parks were created in the XIXth century in North America, since then, the tendency to protect certain areas because of its natural or aesthetic values has extended around the world. In some countries natural areas are suffering strong pressure from urbanization or agriculture practices that jeopardize its future. In natural areas close to cities the risk of development is high but there also important opportunities to sustain and safe those areas. One of them is sustainable tourism and recreation. These activities get people closer to natural areas helping to establish functional and emotional links with the enviroment as well as constituting places where family and friendship links could be strenghten in contact with nature as pointed out by Melnick (2008). With more people enjoying and using these areas the risk that these places could be urbanized decreases because people themselves will oppose to changes in land uses. Nevertheless, in order to make people get to these places, low impact infrastructure should be built together with some facilities that make the people use with comfort and safety those places, always keeping on mind that “man himself is a visitor who does not remain ”as said by Flint McClelland, L.( 1998: 474-475) cited by Stepenoff (2008).

When designing interventions for faciliting the use of natural parks by visitors we should define areas for strict conservation with no human intervention, areas for recreation with low impact as well as as networks of different types of soft paths that allow visitors to get inside the area. The design of those elements and networks should be planned in a careful way taking into account the most sensitive areas for protection and the different flows existing in the site avoiding any kind of feature that could represent an obstacle for the functioning of the natural ecosystem. In these interventions one should use natural materials available in the place trying to avoid as much as possible the use of heavy machinery and finding the way to integrate the design with its surroundings in a harmonious way.

Shoreline restoration; City as a part of nature; Resilient delta; Private landscape resource; green network-greenways. Theoretical backup Hypothesis CRSG Practical implications See also

People riding bikes in the Hooge Veluwe National Park, The Netherlands

“Artificial structures in wild park lands should be made as incospicuous as possible...”(Frank Albert Waugh: 1935

cited by Stepenoff, B.: 2008)

Waugh, F. (1935) Landscape conservation. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service. Stepenoff, B. (2008)Wild Lands and Wonders. Preserving Nature and Culture in National Parks. In: Longstreth, R. ed. 2008. Cultural Landscapes. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Melnick, R.Z. (2008) Are We There Yet? Travels and Tribulations in the Cultural Landscape. In: Longstreth, R. ed. 2008. Cultural Landscapes. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Flint McClelland, L. (1998) Building the National Parks: Historic Landscape Design and Construction. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

References

EMPHASIS ON NETWORK

AND METHODOLOGY

PATTERN SCOPE

specific

low

high

broad

narrow down design solutions IE focussed + part of a design methodology

“The Pattern Language is not, and was never claimed to be a design method and it is always a struggle to integrate patterns into an actual design project” (Salingaros 2000) ‘’As part of a design

methodology, patterns on urban-airport symbiosis can contribute to a more sustainable airport region.” (IPG BAR 2013)

1

THE IPG BAR PATTERN L A N G U A G E

Figure 13. The various pattern libraries; A Pattern Language by C. Alexander (Left), The Pattern Book #1 by EMU (Center) and The IPG BAR Pattern Library (Right).

Figure 14. Textual 4-page patterns in A Pattern Language (left) versus a formatted two-page pattern in The Pattern Book #1 (right).

1

THE IPG BAR PATTERN L A N G U A G E

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A pattern library is likely to contain more patterns than are of interest for your project. Therefore it is smart to make a selection of patterns that you will work with before making a pattern plan. We propose to use two rounds of pattern selection, as is shown in the fi ve diagrams below and on the right page (Step 1-5). This procedure ensures that you have a rather complete overview of the patterns that are relevant for you.

Evaluation criteria

Round 1 - The fi rst round selection of patterns is based on a match with the stated vision. These patterns are likely to offer a proper solution to current problems; this is why they became patterns in the fi rst place. A recommendable strategy would be to evaluate at least twice as much patterns as you are planning to implement. (Step 1 to 2)

Round 2 - What remains to be verifi ed is the performance of the patterns within the various scenarios. As is made clear in Step 3, scenarios focus on uncertain factors that have a relatively large impact on future development. Next to that, you may have encountered some factors that are infl uential, yet more unstable. These two types of factors determine the criteria for your pattern selection. For example, if you have judged prosperity to be an important and uncertain factor, the costs and return on

investment of a solution are criteria. If trust in large businesses is a critical factor, an important evaluation criterion would be whether the solution demands for engagement of large businesses.

The scores for each criteria need to be translated in a fi nal pattern score for each of the scenarios, as your goal is to determine the best suitable patterns in all scenarios. An expensive solution will score low in the non-prosperous scenarios, and if the total investment cannot be spread among different actors, it scores low for scenarios with little trust in large businesses. (Step 3 to 5)

You are free to decide on the number of evaluation criteria. The number of criteria not only depends on the number of critical factors, but also on the amount of available information and time, or even personal preferences. After all, specifi c judgement is only possible after adequate (and time consuming) information gathering. If you are not able to do this suffi ciently, use only a limited number of criteria to avoid a false sense of certainty. Keep in mind that when using a large number of criteria you might need to add weighting factors.

Some patterns in your pattern plan will be implemented right away, whereas others might see the light of day some time in the future. This can greatly infl uence the evaluation of a pattern’s performance. For example, imagine a pattern with high initial costs, but low operational costs. Getting this pattern implemented in a less prosperous society is diffi cult for future decision makers, but continuation of the already implemented pattern probably won’t cause problems. So the date of implementation determines whether it is wise to incorporate a pattern in your pattern plan. Therefore, we recommend to distinguish the situation in which the pattern is yet to be implemented and the current situation. Evaluation in the ﬁrst phase of actually designing

a pattern plan. It is important to assess the usefulness and performance of patterns within the present and future. Since you cannot evaluate all patterns on all characteristics, some choices need to be made here.

5

Start pattern

selection

9

Patterns that are useful and perform well in all scenarios create the most resilient design.

1. Take your vision as a starting point.

After all, coming close to that vision is the ultimate goal.

Step 1-5: Selecting patterns as a starting point (1/2)

2. Make a fi rst selection of a number of

patterns that fi t your vision.

3. Evaluate all patterns that made the fi rst selection against the developed scenarios. The patterns that pass this second selection may later be used for the pattern plan.

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1 1,5

2,5

2

3

Pattern: Efficient waste refining facilities

Keep calm and

carry on Yes, we can!

That’s a waste of money Back to the green basics a. Likelihood of pattern being implemented 2.5 3 1 2

b. How well will it work,

IF implemented 3 3 2 2

Mean total 2.5 2.5 1.5 2

a. 1. Unlikely 2. 50% chance 3. Likely

b. 1. Large problems are foreseen 2. Minor problems 3. As described in pattern

For the SAMR case we developed the following method of evaluation. The IPG BAR patterns were rated from one to three, rounding the average total to half. The criteria, i.e. the likelihood of the pattern being implemented and the performance of the pattern if implemented, were directly related to the scenarios. For determining the scores, we looked at the following aspects: initial and operational costs; (un)certainty about the effects of the solution; required behavioural changes by users and social acceptability. Ideally, these criteria must be judged separately, but due to insuffi cient information availability this wasn’t an option. If relevant stakeholders would be involved in the evaluation

Mean If implemented

CASE STUDY - SAMR

process, as in a desired situation, information availability should not be an issue.

Looking at the pattern ‘Effi cient waste refi ning facilities’, we see that it scores quite well in the fi rst two scenarios, average in the fourth, and worst in the third scenario. This strongly relates to the high associated costs. High oil prices form an incentive for implementation in all scenarios, but in the third scenario the economy is stagnant and society considers sustainability peripheral. Additionally, stringent environmental regulations make implementation more attractive in the second and fourth scenarios.

Step 1-5: Selecting patterns as a starting point (2/2)

4. Explore the related patterns of your starting point patterns: what related patterns fi t all scenarios well?

5. Do the same for 2nd degree related patterns.

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The main challenge is now to design a plan that is complete enough to really give guidance during the following years, but remains fl exible at the same time. If you’re working with a good pattern library in which the relations are well specifi ed, this solves already a large part of the problem, as it provides you with a better understanding of the crucial patterns for suitable performance of other patterns. If your scenarios differ greatly in some respects, it might be best to develop several pattern plans among which you can choose at a later stage.

We propose to follow the roadmap for developing your pattern plan. In case you want to develop several for the different scenarios, we recommend to follow the complete roadmap for one scenario or set of scenarios fi rst, before starting with the next one.

Roadmap for the development of (a) pattern plan(s)

• Start with a pattern from your initial selection that fits your

vision best and performs reasonably well in the different scenarios and apply this pattern to your case. Choose which pattern to implement next based on the relation of your first pattern with other patterns, your vision and the performance of potential patterns in the current situation and the scenarios (Step 6). Bear in mind that patterns are not ready to use solutions. They can be quite generic, so applying them would still require specification of certain elements to make them suitable to your case, but don’t let this put discourage. Write down your chosen patterns and

relationships between these patterns. This makes changes in later stages possible. Some patterns might not function without implementation of other patterns. In this case, implement both or none. For some patterns, it may be uncertain whether they function without the implementation of other particular patterns. State this clearly in your plan, so that action can be taken if needed.

• In case you require a pattern that hasn’t been evaluated against the scenarios yet, carry out the evaluation (Step 3 to 5) first and then decide on the fitness of this pattern. • When you’ve developed a complete pattern plan, run

through the process again from a different starting point (first pattern) to see if you can top the initial plan.

• The last step is to reflect, revise and adjust. After some time,

this could be months, years or even decades, it is advised to revise your pattern plan, and see if adaptations are needed due to changed circumstances. Perhaps the context has developed into one of your created scenarios, or maybe new scenarios should be added to which you must evaluated and/or adjust your pattern plan. Flexibility is a key for dealing with uncertainties here.

Note: if you are under the impression that certain patterns and/or descriptions of pattern relations are missing in your pattern library, you are probably right. As described in Step 4, current libraries are incomplete in this respect. In this case, try to fi nd or develop patterns that fi ll the gaps and defi ne the connections yourself. The booklet Making Patterns provides important guidelines for creating your own patterns.

Now that you have arrived at the end of the IPG BAR pattern methodology, we hope you have gained suffi cient understanding of the use of patterns within design so you to can tackle the complexity and uncertainties of sustainability and urban planning and create a well supported urban plan effectively.

Good luck! You have arrived at the last stage of the pattern

design methodology. It is time to start designing (a) plan(s) for the future. This chapter lists the critical steps in this process. Make sure to involve all relevant stakeholders again; this will not only enhance support for the ﬁnal product, but can also improve the pattern plan.

6

Make a pattern

plan

10

A pattern plan is built upon pattern relations and is resilient to many scenarios.

6. Apply the patterns ( ) to context of your case ( )

7. Revise your pattern plan after X years: adjust, remove or add of patterns due to a changed context

Revision Addition Removal ) ) ) ) ) ) to ( ) ( )