Synchronizing Science and Technology with Human Behaviour
Ralf Brand
‘A rare achievement, one of the first books to link technological and behavioural change to the sustainability agenda’
Charles Landry, author of The Creative City
‘Any course interested in sustainable development in practice would benefit from the case studies here’
Dr Adrian Smith, SPRU Science and Technology Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex, UK
Two disjointed voices can be identified in the prevailing sustainability discourse: one technology-focused, the other favouring behavioural solutions. This new, practical text bridges the gap in a 'co-evolutionary' framework, enabling more sustainable policies and projects to be developed.
Arguing that technical and social realms are much more connected than most people concerned with sustainability tend to admit, the author has developed an innovative and integrated strategy that encourages planners, architects and politicians to work with end-users in 'co-designing' technologies and infrastructures that make socially desired behaviours more attractive. Having explained the nature of the problem, the author outlines key concepts and shared characteristics of co-evolutionary projects and anticipates possible criticisms. Through detailed analysis and diverse case studies, the reader is presented with a clear picture of a more holistic approach to planning sustainable cities and regions, which will be invaluable for students and professionals alike.
This will be an invaluable textbook and planning tool suitable for students of science and technology studies (STS), regional policy and planning, and practitioners including city and regional planners, policy makers and consultants.
Reviews
?A rare achievement, one of the first books to link technological and behavioural change to the sustainability agenda?
Charles Landry, author of The Creative City
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Ralf Brand is a director of International Agenda 21 Consulting of the German Sustainability Performance Group and lecturer in the School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering at Queen's University, Belfast.
Setting the Stage * The Nature of the Problem * Co-evolution in Action * Towards a Theory of Co-evolution * Memes of Co-evolution * Anticipation of Criticism * Conclusions * Index