Co-Design for Urban Diversity
Co-investigating how we can design inclusive urban spaces for diverse humans and non-humans to coexist and thrive in.
Biodiversity in Urban Spaces
As more and more people move to urban spaces throughout the world, the spaces we inhabit need to be more diverse and inclusive. Not only to different human beings, but also to other flora and fauna who also inhabit our spaces. As our urban designs are traditionally created by designers within a closed box process, while all human and non-human citizens must learn to live with the results. I asked the question if we could design together with the different communities that inhibit the city.
The Co-Design Method
Co-designing is a method integrates the community or individuals whom we are designing for at all parts of the design process, and not just using their inputs at certain points of the design process. The designer creates the framework and facilitates the workshops or activities where the community has direct input and influence on the outcome.
“Co-design is about challenging the imbalance of power held by individuals, who make important decisions about others lives, livelihoods and bodies. Often, with little to no involvement of the people who will be most impacted by those decisions … co-design seeks to change that through prioritising relationships, using creative tools and building capability. It uses inclusive convening to share knowledge and power.” — Excerpt from Beyond Sticky Notes
Workshop Structure
Breaking down the design process into steps, we decided to work with different members of the community for each step of the workshop. For this first workshop,… with a cross-generational community: children ages 5-8 and their parents. We created 3 phases for this workshop: learn, create, and discuss.
Urban Biodiversity Cards
With the goal of. … we created 9 cards representing animals, plants, humans, or insect species that are known to exist within Barcelona’s ecosystem. Each card contained a key fact about the agent along with a simple prompt that guides the participant to empathize with and imagine from the perspective of the agent.
Phase 1: Pick a diversity card, and understanding of this agent and their needs, the group would move on to creating an environment, within the context of their urban setting, that this agent could live and flourish in.
Phase 2: The participants were then asked to create an environment they imagined from the perspective of the chosen agent. We provided papers, crayons, clays, sticks, and yarn for them to build with.
Phase 3: We went around to each of the groups to ask questions and learn about their design decisions. We prompted discussion between the parents and children to generate more critical thinking about their creations and designs.
Workshop Outcome & Insights
The workshop resulted in a series of speculative tools inspired by a global future scenario and indigenous traditions. Each participant drew from their cultural heritage and personal memories, reimagining traditional tools to respond to speculative future needs. Some creations were intricate, while others were simple, yet all carried deep cultural significance.
A key insight from the workshop was how storytelling played a crucial role in the design process. Coming from diverse cultural backgrounds, participants spent significant time describing their tools and sharing memories associated with them. This exchange not only deepened our understanding of each other's traditions but also reinforced the power of nostalgic rituals in shaping new ideas.
The act of physicalizing a vision through hands-on making sparked unexpected creativity, leading to an explosion of new ideas within the group. However, many participants initially struggled to connect their traditional tool or ritual with the specific crisis scenario assigned by their Anthropocene card. Interestingly, despite their speculative nature, most tools retained a strong resemblance to traditional forms—though often in exaggerated or abstracted ways.
The workshop highlighted how tactile engagement and shared cultural narratives can enhance future envisioning, demonstrating that the process of making is just as valuable as the final outcome.
