sharing cities and citizens sharing perceptions and practices in milan

n/

Skilling and Learning Through Digital Do-It-Yourself: The Role of (Co-)Design

The current trend of digitally enabled self-production (i.e. digital DIY) is emblematic of the contemporary attitude to making. Its investigation represents an opportunity for better understanding the dynamics underpinning the acquisition of competences for the next century citizens through making. The objective of this paper is presenting our preliminary reflections on the factors characterising the current trend of digital DIY, envisaged as a phenomenon of social innovation empowering people by developing skills through making collaboratively. We introduce a model representing the dynamics (over the three levels of social innovation, social practice and creative process) and factors (i.e. technology, motivation and collaboration) for learning and skilling in this context. The concluding section describes future developments based on co-design for the delivery of tools enabling designers and key players in four main areas of intervention in which the model can be transferred

Digital making as a means to improve education

Contemporary education faces the challenge of teaching and learning key competences for students to strive as the next generation workers in the contemporary world characterised by rapid and profound transformation. In particular, the current societal trend of ‘making’ for laypeople especially enabled by rapid manufacturing and digital technologies is questioning the role of professional designers in a word where – as also design literature reports – ‘everybody is a designer’ (Manzini 2015; Cross 2011). The objective of this paper is presenting our preliminary reflections about the digitally enabled self-production trend (aka digital DIY) as a means for students to develop and improve the key competences to face the complexity of contemporary age This set of cognitive, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills generally recognised of fundamental importance for the next generation labour market, social cohesion and active citizenship comprises not only technical and engineering knowledge, but also creativity and critical thinking, effective communication and collaboration, plus a range of personal qualities such as motivation, curiosity, self-development and -management. Such key competences have been widely defined and work programmes have been activated to promote their application among the educational and work fields. In Europe, key competences represent the pillars of the Lifelong Learning programme edited by the European Commission (2006/962/EC). Across the United States some promoter (i.e. the Partnership for the 21st century skills, National Research Council) are trying to merge education, business, community and government leaders around these competences, mainly known as 21st century skills (The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2008). Since the last decades of the 20th century, research in learning processes have suggested the importance of making and doing as a means to foster the acquisition of these skills, especially the creative ones. Digital DIY is here envisaged as a creative practice in which people – including design students – may increase their self-confidence and empowerment. Rooted in design and construction, these digital making activities often emphasise the acquisition of problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, cross disciplinarity and collaboration. Within the framework of the EU funded project ‘Digital Do-It-Yourself (DiDIY), we are going to explore the dynamics facilitating the acquisition of the key competences in this practice.We introduce a model representing the dynamics (over three levels; social innovation, social practice and creative process) and factors (i.e. technology, motivation and collaboration) for learning and skilling in this context. As design researchers, we aim at contributing by developing (co)design-driven tools facilitating the identification of the skilling dynamics in place where digital DIY practice takes place. In this specific paper we will firstly define such competencies as a result of a comparative study from literature analysis and then argue why they are developed through digital DIY. Finally, we will conclude with the proposal of transferring the skilling dynamics identified in digital DIY to education system

Co-creation pathways to inform shared governance of urban living labs in practice: Lessons from three European projects

Over recent decades Urban Living Labs (ULLs) have become a common space for co-creation processes' experimentation, whereby new approaches for sustainable urban development are highly connected to support evidence-based policy generation. Europe seems a particular 'hotspot' for this approach whenever it comes to public policy and specifically planning for urban transition. Systemic changes related to urban governance and different public participatory mechanisms, as in the case of ULLs, demand a growing interest from the stakeholders and deliberation in decision-making mechanisms. In this research paper, we analyze co-creation pathways and different shared governance mechanisms in three ongoing European projects: CLEVER Cities, Sharing Cities, and SUNEX projects from a practice perspective. This comparative study investigates stakeholder engagement (1) scales, (2) mechanisms, (3) methodologies of engagement, and finally the co-creation pathway challenges and pitfalls. From the analyzed ULLs' experiences, we identified key principles that suggest relevant clues to enable the consolidation of a forthcoming ULL 2.0 model and related innovation pathways for co-creating urban planning policies. We lastly reflect on the enablers and catalysts of co-creation processes to inform shared urban governance as major takeaways from our research

Product longevity and shared ownership: Sustainable routes to satisfying the world’s growing demand for goods 

It has been estimated that by 2030 the number of people who are wealthy enough to be significant consumers will have tripled. This will have a dramatic impact on the demands for primary materials and energy. It has been estimated that with improvements in design and manufacturing it is possible to maintain the current level of production using 70% of the current primary material consumed. Even with these improvements on the production side, there will still be a doubling of primary material requirements by the end of the century, with accompanying rises in industrial energy demand, if the rise in demand for goods and services is to be met. It is therefore clear that the consumption of products must also be explored. Product longevity and using goods more intensively are two strategies which could reduce the demand for new goods. If products last longer, then manufacturing output can concentrate on emerging markets rather than the market for replacement goods. There are many goods which are infrequently used, these seldom wear out. The total demand for such could be drastically reduced if they we re shared with other people. Sharing of goods has traditionally been conducted between friends or by hiring equipment, but modern communication systems and social media could increase the opportunities to share goods. Sharing goods also increases access to a range of goods for those on low incomes. From a series of workshops it has been found that the principal challenges are sociological rather than technological. This paper contains a discussion of these challenges and explores possible futures where these two strategies have been adopted. In addition, the barriers and opportunities that these strategies offer for 548 AIMS Energy Volume 3, Issue 4, 547-561. consumers and businesses are identified, and areas where government policy could be instigated to bring about change are highlighted

Greening Cities Shaping Cities: Pinpointing Nature-Based Solutions in Cities between Shared Governance and Citizen Participation

The topic of pinpointing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in the urban context has been cultivating interests lately from different scholars, urban planning practitioners and policymakers. This Special Issue originates from the Greening Cities Shaping Cities Symposium held at the Politecnico di Milano (12–13 October 2020), aiming at bridging the gap between the science and practice of implementing NBS in the built environment, as well as highlighting the importance of citizen participation in shared governance and policy making. The Special Issue was also made open to other contributions from outside the symposium in order to allow for contributions from a major scientific and practical audience wherever possible. Indeed, we have gathered contributions from Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, Brazil, Portugal, Denmark, France, Bulgaria, Sweden, Hungary, Spain, the UAE, the UK, and the USA

ASO Author Reflections: Recurrence Following Post-neoadjuvant Pancreatectomy: How Can We Do Better?

N/

Early and Sustained Elevation in Serum Pancreatic Amylase Activity: A Novel Predictor of Morbidity After Pancreatic Surgery

Objective:To characterize early postoperative serum pancreatic amylase (spAMY) trends after pancreatic resections. Summary Background Data:A postoperative spAMY elevation is a common finding but uncertainties remain about its meaning and prognostic implications. Methods:Analysis of patients who consecutively underwent pancreatectomy from 2016 to 2019. spAMY activity was assessed from postoperative day (POD) 0 to 3. Different patterns of spAMY have been identified based on the spAMY standard range (10-52 U/l). Results:Three patterns were identified: (#1) spAMY values always < the lower limit of normal/within the reference range /a single increase in spAMY > upper limit of normal at any POD; (#2) Sustained increase in spAMY activity on POD 0 + 1; (#3) Sustained increase in spAMY activity including POD 1 + 2. Shifting through spAMY patterns was associated with increase morbidity (21% in #1 to 68% in #3 at POD 7; log rank < 0.001). Almost all severe complications (at least Clavien-Dindo >= 3) occurred in patients with pattern #3 (15% vs 3% vs 5% in #1 and #2 at POD 7, P = 0.006), without difference considering >3-times or >the spAMY normal limit (P = 0.85). POPF (9% in #1 vs 48% in #3, P < 0.001) progressively increased across patterns. Pre-operative diabetes (OR 0.19), neoadjuvant therapy (OR 0.22), pancreatic texture (OR 8.8), duct size (OR 0.78), and final histology (OR 2.2) were independent predictors of pattern #3. Conclusions:A sustained increase in spAMY activity including POD 1 + 2 (#3) represents an early postoperative predictor of overall and severe early morbidity. An early and dynamic evaluation of spAMY could crucially impact the subsequent clinical course with relevant prognostic implications