STUDIO RURAL

 system design - affordable & GREEN mobility

2018, SYSTEM DESIGN, inclusive transition.

This one came to us in 2018 when I drove my MINI on the ferry to Texel. As my idea-ping-pong partner and I, concluded putting cars on big boats didn’t seem very smart. Since weight and space really matters when it comes to sustainable transport. All while we were ‘musing’ that on our sunny weekend, we girls could use a MINI-cabrio and some wind in our hair. And renting one was … yep, too expensive. But well, should it be expensive? So our ping-pong started.

SHARING IS CARING … AND LIKE THE BEACH BOYS SANG ‘WE’LL GET THERE FAST, AND THEN WE’LL TAKE IT SLOW’

In addition to less cohesive communities our Belgian urban sprawl and lack of dense and walkable centers, creates a reliance on the private car. So ribbon developments eventually need to disappear and villages densified. While greening cities and giving their districts a more human scale. But even when doing so, to meet our greenhouse targets, all of us owning a private car will not be an option in the future. Like in km-insurance deals, depending on ones usage or profession, some will still own, others would prefer to share. Leaving them more budget for life-quality’. Car-sharing or car-clubs, reduce the need for private ownership to 1:5 th. One fifth of private car ownership, which ‘coincidently’ matches our EU resources of local ‘raw materials’ needed to produce, fair and green, batteries.

Futhermore in a country that’s not much bigger then a mega city, it can't be impossible to have a punctual and hyper-fast public transport. Bringing you to Gent, Antwerp, Brussels, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Keulen or even Stockholm in about half an hour and at a lower cost than driving there yourself. Why approximately half an hour, one way? Because work-life and stress wise, this is experienced as an acceptable duration, benefitting employee attachment. Hyper-fast public transport, increases that 30 minute radius, so employment opportunities and potential employees as well. A necessity for all our future industries, all while still offering our citizens a choice, if they want to live densly, rural or urban.

WHEN LOVING PEOPLE, OUR PLANET AND COMPANIES: IT’S ABOUT TRAVEL-TIME AND A CREATIVE USE OF SPACE AND MONEY.

However how we’re experiencing travel-time: as lost time, stressful, OK, relaxing or even fun, correlates with perception and having a say in how we spend it. So silent coaches with good wi-fi for working, reading, studying, listening music and podcasts, including phone- or meditation pods … etc could be needed. Travel-time can be seen as ‘working hours’ by their employees. Combined with glocal satellite-offices, as in co-working places in village- or city centres, it can lead to innovative cross pollinations ‘in between’ sectors. While removing locational and work-life, thresholds for future employees. Taking this a step further, companies can see a coach as a learning hub, resto or coffee shop and co-invest in coaches and glocal co-woking places. Invest in the ‘infill’ of a coach or building. A circular design approach previously applied in architecture by architect ‘Habraken’, in what he called ‘structure and infill’. An idea that works as a finance-model too. Due to a global employee shortage companies have an incentive to co-invest, creating a competitive advantage.

Local satilate-offices, can even help companies ‘to let go’ of a refuted misconception that ‘good work’ only happens under the ‘controlling eye’ off software or a manager at the head-office. I believe there’s a lovely song about this topic, called ‘let it go’. Controle, dominance, as in; power-abuse are approaches used by bullies, unsuitable for managers and companies. Bad for company culture, health and wellbeing, as well as profit. Besides the damage it causes is becoming way to expensive for our governments, communities and families. We have this saying ‘you can only spend an euro once.’ So I guess for budgetary reasons, some healthy boundaries are in order. Furthermore science has repeatedly proven that it’s all about goal setting, passion and supportive environments and not ‘controle’, leading to better overall results for all.

Yet, these glocal satellite-offices can offer even more than a better work-life balance, autonomy and job-enjoyment. After-work a daytime conference room, could shelter free wifi, PSS (product service system) affordable laptops and circular designed tech, plus civil society supported ‘study buddies’ for kids. So consuming less raw materials and creating less technological wast. All while protecting our employees, teachers and young brains from ‘burnouts’ by an ‘always on’ tech-approach. So saving lots of money for companies and governments, while doing good. Yet, providing an answer to vacant buildings or even train-stations. All while lively and engaged neighborhoods, communities, that ‘speak up’, make these areas safer for our kids and all oppressed citizens, like for e.g. all women and LGBTQIA+’s.

COMMUNITY CENTERED

But improving our faster public transport like that, also means stops in every rural town are not an option anymore. As we’ve experienced these stops make it too slow, too expensive and not profitabel. But what to do with locations where public transport isn’t feasible? For this challenge governments are already exploring mobility-hubs or partly privatizing remote and local transport, by learning from our Dutch neighbors about a good mix. At these locations one could switch from fast-public transport to shared bikes, cycle highways or other vehicles on renewable energy and vice-versa. All payable with the same ‘open source’ user friendly app or prepaid-card. With smart technology, these future hubs, can become demand-driven-networks. But for this to work social cohesion ans privacy by design, meaning: engagement and citizenship are key. Which brings us back to the human seize of our districts and communities. Otherwise disrespect and destructiveness for shared transportation can be a consequence. Another possible solution could be that a part of our local taxes would be invested in a cooperative structure, making citizens co-owners and beneficiaries. Which increases social engagement as damaging something you co-own and profit off, doesn’t make any sense.

PIECE OF ‘RAU’ CAKE OR PIE? WHEN IT COMES TO DESSERTS, LETS HAVE BOTH :-)

Of course car manufactures explore these changes too. So car-brands will be looking at new revenue models for the future. And if they want a piece of the future pie, they can’t help but focus on product service models themselves. These models may have the potential to combine ‘growth’ while still reducing our over-consumption of human and planetary resources. So it’s where the interests of people, planet and profit can meet. In a 'mobility as a service' approach by car-brands, instead of other parties, they'll still own the raw materials used to fabricate these cars, making it a circulair solution. In this setting, sparing raw materials and producing durable products will increase their profit, so they have an incentive to do so. Fans of a certain brand, like me, can still have brand subscriptions. So my future brand-subscription to a full electric MINI, can still 'feel' a little like owning. But to allow brands or companies to ‘stall and market’ their products in the public space of our provinces, towns and villages, governments can write-out blanket orders. While setting local ground rules, in how their public space can be used, while preventing an over-supply. These group-mobility purchases can make electric mobility more accessible, for situations where public transport isn’t feasible. While the esthetics and design of a vehicle can tell an authentic story about a place, a town or a province. So future Belgian parking-norms for projects, won’t be about a minimum, but about a maximum amount of parking spots and a minimum amount of shared mobility.

‘… AND THEN WE TAKE IT SLOW’ - HOW DEMOGRAPHICS CAN CATALYZE RECIPROCITY & SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

For most youngsters, elderly or less mobile residents, the enjoyment of driving yourself, equals freedom and autonomy. But the lack of a driver’s license, budget or physical balance can be a threshold for some electric vehicles. However in centers or for touristic excursions, slow could be better and safer. Tricycle electric cargo bikes and lightweight quadricycles, can be a better option. Quadricycles with a top speed of 45km/h can be more inclusive and circular. Yet, often the designs look ‘disabled’, unnecessary shaming people, while it doesn’t has to be like that. Especially when classy, cool and affordable are possible too. So I guess the real remark is: ‘If, as a youngster or later in life, you don’t want to drive it yourself, go back to the drawing board’. And as these ‘types of vehicles’ don’t require a registration certificate or car inspection in the EU, it could create some space for creativity and glocality. As ‘easy riders’ at heart, creatives could go a little wild. As in: personalized, 3D printed coachwork, biomimicry in bio-based materials and even multi brand ‘open industrialization’ become possible. So a dent on a side isn’t that bad, as one can grind and reprint parts. No unnecessary luxury with rising prices of raw materials. All while the revenue from tourists could make it more affordable or even free for local residents and those who need it most. This way sustainable tourism, will be giving back locally, as it should.

WHAT IF … NOSTALGIA AND GLOCALITY VERSUS INNOVATION ARE NOT OPPOSITES, IN ANY SECTOR?

Like we’ve experience in architecture, extreme individualism and globalization reinforced a feeling of ontological alienation, rootlessness or a lack of local soul. As it seems, for ‘contexts’ to feel good, most prefer predictability or glocality, as well as ‘some’ adventure. For some modernization and globalization led to the believe that innovation vs nostalgia, big vs small, cosmopolitan vs community scaled, glocal diversity or even quantity vs handmade craftsmanship are incompatible opposites. But if we would eliminate the negative effects, keeping the positives, are they really? Or is this line of thinking just a sign of a lack of imagination and creativity? Reminding me of this quote from a song, saying: ‘I can tell you have a lousy imagination’. Because maybe these beautiful designs proof, we can have both. Evidently we should really start to ‘appreciate’ all our designers, our so called ‘misfits’ and creatives more.

INCLUSION, ACCESSIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY: A STEP BY STEP TRANSITION

But all transitions are a gradual proces, meaning short-, medium-, and long term solutions. Plus in an inclusive transition affordability is still key. In addition some rightfully detest our ‘throw away’, consumer - society. Or like me, some even have a ‘herbie-like’ - attachment, to our retro little darling on wheels. Because good design, is timeless. Furthermore we need to consider the incorporated energy and raw materials, invested in your current car, the current stock of car brands and the production of a new one. Transforming those can still be the most inclusive, affordable, option. As we may need these raw materials first, to prioritize the production of renewable energy installations. So at least until we have all our innovative and renewable alternatives in place, transforming our ‘retro darling on wheels’, could still be an option. For these cases government supported companies like the French transition-one, can transform your car into an electric version, for a fraction of the price of a new one, as in: 3000€. And a ‘fair-phone-like-design’ or ‘Keep It Simple’- technical design approach, can even create an interesting new niche-market for independent garages. It could even ‘support’ car brands to transform their current stock into a sustainable one.

This kind of gradual proces is also required for new building permits at unsuitable locations like ribbon developments, which eventually need to disappear. In order to make this transition feasible and affordable for local authorities and citizens, interim solutions could be considered. This could mean more flexible, future proofed building codes for these areas. These more gradual and circular building codes could imply demountable and reusable building designs for these locations. While granting investment security and legal certainty about the timespan of these temporary building permits to companies and families.

Furthermore currently built collective housing projects, still have ground-floor or underground car parks adjusted to current needs and norms. Thus designs for a longer economical lifespan, adaptable for a new purpose are necessary. Therefore designers need to think about daylight and outside access. Making these former car parks adaptable to shared functions like: laundry - coffee bars, DIY- corners, bicycle storages, restore and makers-labs locally printing our products with bio-based materials, etc ... In urban situations, urban farming or aquaponic urban farming can to be an option too.