A Socio-technical Analysis of Interdependent Infrastructures among the Built Environment, Energy, and Transportation Systems at the Navy Yard and the Philadelphia Metropolitan Region, USA

This paper reports on a research initiative that explores the interdependencies of the system of systems — the built environment, energy, and transportation — related to the redevelopment of The Navy Yard in Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Metropolitan Region. The overarching goal of the project is a clearer understanding of the dynamics of multi-scale interactions and interdependencies of systems of sociotechnical systems that will be useful to system practitioners. The understanding and the subsequent planning and design of sociotechnical systems are “wicked” problems and one characteristic is there is no definitive formulation. One of the main findings or lessons learned of the work reported for the understanding of interdependencies of infrastructure is the identification of what are the problems or challenges because for wicked problems “[t]he formulation of the problem is the problem!” We find that systems practitioners have an overarching concern of a fragmented regional policy and decision making process. Four main themes of 1. Vulnerability of aging infrastructure, 2. Integration of emerging technology into existing infrastructure, 3. Lifestyle and value changes, and 4. Financial innovations were identified as challenges. Continuing research work explores three possible infrastructure projects for further study as well as the development of a high-level systems of systems model. The principle outcome is the initiation of a planning process so that the system practitioners will learn to better understand the connections among related sociotechnical systems and the constellation of problems they face not within their immediate scope of responsibility yet influences the operations of their systems

Making Sociotechnical Systems Thinking Stick

Sociotechnical systems design is crucial to the success of digital transformations at all scales. Unfortunately, in research and practice, the explicit use of sociotechnical systems thinking is limited. We leverage a different framing (Thinking in 5T) to understand cases where people sustain the practice of sociotechnical thinking

System interactions in socio-technical transitions: Extending the multi-level perspective

This paper discusses contextual issues in sociotechnical systems and transitions under the Multi Level Perspective (MLP). It emphasises inter system interactions, for which a typology is developed drawing on a review and meta level analysis of published transition case studies. The typology is subsequently associated to the MLP transitions pathways. A novel transition pathway, is derived through this process, namely new system emergence, for systems that emerge from contributions of existing antecedent sociotechnical systems

A Sociotechnical Systems Analysis of the Approval Process for a Complex Public Works Proposal

This research applied sociotechnical systems theory to explore the process used by two elected bodies to decide upon adoption of a complex technical engineering proposal. The research used a modified sociotechnical systems conceptual framework that was developed by Pava (1983) for application to non-traditional work settings. Pava applied the conceptual framework to what he termed non-routine office work which is characterized by non-linear conversion flow, multiple, concurrent conversion processes and vocational separatism (Pava, 1983). The research was designed as a multiple case study of two town councils each undertaking a decision process to approve or reject a public works proposal to join a metropolitan public utility. The proposal was submitted to the towns in the form of a technical engineering feasibility study which was distributed to the council members in each town. Qualitative data was collected in the form of field notes from meetings and telephone conversations, tape recordings of meetings, tape recordings of interviews, copies of official meeting minutes and newspaper articles. A modified sociotechnical systems conceptual framework based on Pava (1983) was used to structure the data analysis and provide rigor to the case study method (Yin, 1994). The sociotechnical systems conceptual framework provided a theoretically based set of categories with which to draw evidence from the raw data and compile it into a case study data base. The case study data base was then used as the source of emergent themes and issues for development of the case study narratives. The case study narratives were reviewed by selected participants for content and accuracy. Case study review comments were incorporated into the final drafts of the narratives. A cross case analysis was performed on the two narratives. The research generated implications for applications of sociotechnical systems theory in non-traditional settings and the capability of sociotechnical systems as a conceptual framework for case study research. In addition implications were also developed for engineering practice in a political environment and for further research

Design Spaces for Sociotechnical Systems

This conceptual paper is a step toward bridging the gap between thinking of systems as tools that are used and thinking of systems as sociotechnical systems with human participants. Its description of design spaces for sociotechnical systems applies a work system perspective. Its theory of sociotechnical design encompasses planned and unplanned change in those work systems. Its overall approach supports analysis and design at various levels of depth without implicitly biasing the result toward non-technical or technical aspects of the situation. The work system approach to sociotechnical design provides a path for going far beyond simple relationships between function and form. This paper summarizes aspects of that path, including: • Framework for summarizing work systems within organizations; • A theory of sociotechnical design; • Decomposition of work systems into subsystems and their interactions; • Parallel application of multiple design spaces organized around work system elements. The paper concludes by listing advantages of its approach to sociotechnical design

Urban heat stress vulnerability in the U.S. Southwest: The role of sociotechnical systems

Heat vulnerability of urban populations is becoming a major issue of concern with climate change, particularly in the cities of the Southwest United States. In this article we discuss the importance of understanding coupled social and technical systems, how they constitute one another, and how they form the conditions and circumstances in which people experience heat. We discuss the particular situation of Los Angeles and Maricopa Counties, their urban form and the electric grid. We show how vulnerable populations are created by virtue of the age and construction of buildings, the morphology of roads and distribution of buildings on the landscape. Further, the regulatory infrastructure of electricity generation and distribution also contributes to creating differential vulnerability. We contribute to a better understanding of the importance of sociotechnical systems. Social infrastructure includes codes, conventions, rules and regulations; technical systems are the hard systems of pipes, wires, buildings, roads, and power plants. These interact to create lock-in that is an obstacle to addressing issues such as urban heat stress in a novel and equitable manner

Teaching about Complex Sociotechnical Systems (CSS)

Prof Chris Magee and I teach the doctoral seminar in engineering systems (ESD.83) required for all ESD doctoral students usually in the first semester they are registered as doctoral students. One of the assignments deals with students characterizing a complex sociotechnical system (CSS) of interest to them along various dimensions. For this assignment we provide them with the following paper: Complex, Sociotechnical Systems (CSS): Some Fundamental Concepts and ask the students to use the framework provided by the paper to do their characterizations. I thought this short paper (and the assignment) would be of interested to faculty teaching other comparable courses in various programs in engineering, management, systems engineering, social science, and so forth. We include the assignment itself as an appendix to the paper. Comments are more than welcome. I emphasize this is not intended as a research paper but more a teaching note to help students structure their thinking in a consistent manner

Municipal transitions: The social, energy, and spatial dynamics of sociotechnical change in South Tyrol, Italy

With the aim of proposing recommendations on how to use social and territorial specificities as levers for wider achievement of climate and energy targets at local level, this research analyses territories as sociotechnical systems. Defining the territory as a sociotechnical system allows us to underline the interrelations between space, energy and society. Groups of municipalities in a region can be identified with respect to their potential production of renewable energy by means of well-known data-mining approaches. Similar municipalities linking together can share ideas and promote collaborations, supporting clever social planning in the transition towards a new energy system. The methodology is applied to the South Tyrol case study (Italy). Results show eight different spatially-based sociotechnical systems within the coherent cultural and institutional context of South Tyrol. In particular, this paper observes eight different systems in terms of (1) different renewable energy source preferences in semi-urban and rural contexts; (2) different links with other local planning, management, and policy needs; (3) different socio-demographic specificities of individuals and families; (4) presence of different kinds of stakeholders or of (5) different socio-spatial organizations based on land cover. Each energy system has its own specificities and potentialities, including social and spatial dimensions, that can address a more balanced, inclusive, equal, and accelerated energy transition at the local and translocal scale