MOSS ROCK CITY
STEPS TO A PLURIVERSAL ECOLOGY OF SYSTEMS ORIENTED URBAN DESIGN
Master’s Thesis
Philip Dixon Sandberg
Executive Master’s Thesis in Systems Oriented Design
Oslo School of Architecture and Design
2024
ABSTRACT
This master thesis delves into the multi-layered, complex, and dynamic landscape of urban development in a coastal city in south-eastern Norway. Where ownership to themes and solutions are blurred, roles diverse, actors and stakeholders numerous. Framed within five parallel urban development processes, I aim to show how these are related, in time, at different levels, with distinct actors and types of power. Through this exploration, intricate details, systemic connections, and relations to overarching processes are unveiled.
Going beyond theory and the five processes, the research aims to develop a praxeological tool applicable in similar, but diverse contexts, projects, and processes. This framework and/or tool is made with the intention of highlighting the systemic patterns and relations in any urban development process. It can be used in different ways, for example, but not limited to:
• a systems oriented tool for gathering and relating knowledge
• a framework/blueprint for/in participation processes
• a holistic approach for/in decision-making processes
• a transdisciplinary communication tool
• a way of setting up conversations in an organisation
Modis operandi in the department of planning, environment, and technical infrastructure
(Norwegian: kommunalområde plan, miljø og teknikk) is to a high degree hierarchical, linear, and siloed. This is by no means special and should be relatable for people working at different levels in public administration. The master thesis explores ways of working with and around the modus operandi, while also shifting focus to facilitate for the emergence of a mindset better suited for urban design processes, and implementation of transdisciplinary, holistic solutions that benefit multiple and pluriversal worlds.
This approach offers a relational framework to address multifaceted challenges involving wicked problems, multiple actors, focus, drivers, power dynamics, roles, and emotions. By recognizing the interplay between analysis and human relations, the master advocates for a systemic approach, guiding urban governance practices toward stronger systemic understanding of parallel projects/processes working at different timelines at the same time. The focus is on scale and time, in various contexts, with the goal of creating an environment for innovative implementation practices, and transformative outcomes for Moss, other cities, communities, and municipalities.