October 9th, 2013 at the city hall of Eindhoven a members encounter took place to start the exchange of ideas about next phases of AiREAS along the line of sustainable human progress towards a healthy city. So far the activity had been very much technology driven with scientific involvement. The original challenge of AiREAS was to link air quality with human health through measurement, scientific insight and civilian participation to improve the overall situation.
The ideological idea behind AiREAS and the joined venture between the fragmented disciplines of a society was that none of these disciplines could solve the complexity by itself. The true difference to be made was to show that only a purpose driven co-creation would do the trick. Business, science and government working together on technology was already a well known platform referred to as “triple helix”. It did however not involve the citizens as partners, just as economic objectives. AiREAS had turned the relationship around but needed to get to activate the citizens with the assistance of the institutional partners. Only then change would truly occur, it was believed.
A practical drawing of the steps
7 new initiatives were presented to the multidisciplinary group by its own members:
1. Dr. Eric de Groot (Imagelab and University of Amsterdam, heart specialist in relation to air quality, previous research in Girona, Switzerland, etc)
Proposition: To create a parallel measurement platform to the ILM to follow heart, blood pressure, respiration, lung functions of citizens in town, particularly in areas where people are expected to be exposed most.
2. Nicolette Meeder – (STIR Academy and FRE2SH)
Proposition – to study the relationship between aggression in the city and air pollution.
Group decision: Not as an AiREAS group. Connect via city councilor to TU/e initiative on education.
3. Ben Nas (civilian coordinator at City quarter Gestel for sustainocracy project VE2RS – FRE2SH)
Proposition: To unite FRE2SH and AiREAS forces in the field through the “My neighborhood” idea of civilian co-creation. AiREAS is often considered to be too abstract for citizens. Making things visible in a practical way by addressing air quality through living green, energy usage, food production, recreation and local health networks the issue becomes alive and touchable. FRE2SH stands for self sufficiency and productivity through self awareness through city cooperation in the field of F(ood), R(ecreation), E(nergy), E(ducation), S(elf sufficiency) and H(ealth).
Cooperative city farm
Group decision: Yes! Maybe in combination with the proposition of Dr. Eric de Groot.
4. Marco van Lochem (co-founder, director at Imtech)
Proposition: To make a Mobile Communication App as living lab experiment.
Group decision: Yes! As a group. We co-create first the basis and than we see how to expand.
5. Marco van Lochem (director at Imtech)
Proposition: To create a dynamic traffic system based on ILM air pollution information.
Group decision: Not just a technological system because that is already in possible acquisition phase of local government within its infrastructural plans. It would be sales project. To make a co creative we need to interactively challenge city dynamics from a users perspective to use the city’s infrastructure differently according ILM information. Technology and social interaction. Then: YES, as a group.
6. SGE – medical centres Eindhoven
Proposition: to set up a medical center in the development high density city area of Strijp-S to introduce air quality awareness.
Group decision: Not discussed due to absence of proposer
7. City of Tomorrow – STIR Academy
Proposition: to create space and facilitate SME creative initiatives for air quality related innovation.
Group decision: None, we did not get to this point due to time constraints
The progression
When an inspiration is accepted by the group the procedure is to work it out in work groups all the way up to a clear project description, partnership commitments, financial support and expected results in the field of air quality or human health improvements.
The inspiration to innovation process applied in AiREAS is also provided by STIR Academy
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