1. SUSTAINABILITY REEARCH CENTRE (SRCe)
1.1 Why?
Key aspect of creating and maintaining successful community is democratic, equitable participation of its members in meaning full decision-making processes. Community of NAC has long suffered from failures of in various attempts of community “consultations” and “engagements” of the past. We are proposing innovative way of meaningful engagement of community and collaboration with other stakeholders, industry bodies and research institutions - Sustainability Research Centre (SRCe).
1.2 Who?
Reflecting desire to achieving measurable outcomes on three bottom lines – social, environmental and economic, our proposal is to include three basic groups in the process:
- community
- industry
- research
Each of these groups would have their own stakeholders with various degree of interest and impact on the process. Each of the groups and stakeholders would, in our opinion, benefit from collaboration.
Sustainability Research Centre (SRCe) structure
1.3 What?
1.3.1 Collaborative Planning
It is essential that community be the one that sets out specific goals for producing the master plan for the area. It also needs to be involved in monitoring the process and in evaluation of interim outcomes.
In order to achieve Circular Economy principle of “designing out waste” planning would need to include creation of “Digital Twin”, which would enable monitoring performance of elements and systems and ensure circular supply chain. At planning stages, Digital Twin will enable exploring options, measuring expected outcomes from model and fine tuning plans.
1.3.2 Governance
At governance stage, Digital Twin, accompanied with various sensors would enable continuous performance monitoring, data collection and utilization, as well as facilitating smart ways of governance of many aspects of urban community life. Protection of privacy and data security would need to be regulated with full control of community and other stakeholders. Therefore, SRCe would be a custodian of Digital Twin.
1.4 How
1.4.1 Citizen’s Jury
Sortition was, for most of history of democracy, main method of achieving just, equitable representation in decision-making. Elections were introduced relatively late in and with the aim to ensure protection of privileges.
New Democracy Foundation (NDF) has done research and introduce practice on implementation of sortition in planning mechanisms through “citizen’s jury”. Together with the NDT we intend to implement “citizen’s jury” methods in organising SRCe.
New Democracy Foundation - principles and team for North Arm Cove Initiative
1.4.2 Funding
Innovation will be significant contributor to increased land values, “value capture”, in the area. “Circular Funding” would provide portion of that increase be allocated for continual innovation process needed to ensure circular process – monitoring performance of technological systems and general governance of the place. It is expected that in later stages, many aspects of innovation would be generating their own income as well.