Don't be egocentric be planet-centric
Being inspired by the concept of biophilia, which is a term that describes humans inherent need to be exposure to the natural world, my colleges and I have been exploring innovative ways to think about nature in the smart city context. We have explored options such as vertical gardens that move around cities according to citizen needs and plants that can grown at any weather. We soon realised how human-centric our ideas were. We all decided to take a turn from these ideas and look at nature from a different angle.
We tend to look at innovative solutions and designs from a human perspective. I wonder if this form of looking at the world is selfish and narrow-minded. How can we be sure that wonderful ideas can come only from human minds? Maybe it's time to take the focus from ourselves and see what we can learn from other species. After all, they are capable of doing things that we have been trying to do for centuries, but have not yet succeeded. There are millions of species that have been on this planet for a lot longer than us and probably have more experience with survival techniques than us.
Nature does not have all the smart tools that we have. In fact, some of the resources that nature has, are constantly being damaged by us, humans. However, nature can still do what it is still unimaginable to us. Flowers like orchids for example can grow, bloom, go through a period of rest and rebirth again. There is a type of jellyfish that can actually age backwards. Isn't this something that we have been working on for centuries?
Feeling a little bit more connect to nature and with the idea of thinking differently about the world we live in, I have decided to a bit of research on initiatives that have challenged pre existing patterns and that lateral thinking has been demonstrated and applied.
During my research I came across to the term biomimicry. I spent some time reading about it and I was amazed by the concept. Biomimicry is basically a practice that mimics strategies used by nature to solve existing problems. These strategies can be incorporated into the design of solutions to many challenges that our planet faces.
The idea is to learn from nature, and at the same time create empathy and a more harmonious world.
Another methodology I came across was ‘Planet Centric Design’. This is a method for designing that does not harm the planet. Planet centric design does not consider us, humans, to be the main focus on our planet. Humans are actually part of an interconnected system that should be understood, and considered when designing products or services.
Planet centric design does not consider only aspects such as economy, efficiency and innovation. It considers essential to think responsibly about how we design and the consequences of it to the interconnected system we living in.
This less anthropocentric view of the world does fit with some of the pillars of the smart city concept. When it comes to sustainability we do need to reflect on the current methods, business models and innovative initiatives that we currently rely on today.
My research also made me reflect on the need of having a multidisciplinary approach when it comes to designing responsibly. To think laterally about complex problems and challenges that cities face today, and how we can best address them, requires different perspectives, experiences and knowledge.
