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How might we restore vibrancy in cities and regions facing economic decline? Read the challenge brief

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Urban Design, community participation

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Lego Rapid Prototyping Tool for Participatory Urban Neighborhood Design

Lego Rapid Prototyping Tool for Participatory Urban Neighborhood Design (#LRPTPUND) allows any community to quickly visualize the existing situation and mockup future ideal solutions.
Lego Rapid Prototyping Tool for Participatory Urban Neighborhood Design (#LRPTPUND) allows any community to quickly visualize the existing situation and mockup future ideal solutions. This democratic, participatory process is the first step in making a better future real.

Completed designs can be shared on crowdsourcing sites like Lego Cuusoo, Kiva City or Kickstarter for support, tracking and funding.

Free Lego Mosaic Making Tools:
Google Maps for Satellite Views of the Neighborhood
Brickify
LEGO Photo
PicToBrick

Optional Lego Kit:
Lego Serious Play

What resources (money, time, people, technology, etc) will your concept need to be successful?

Lego Mosaic Making Tools, Lego Bricks, Eager Neighborhood Residents (of all ages).

How can your idea be scaled so that it's implemented in cities around the world?

The Lego mosaic making tools are free and lego bricks are pretty much universally found. AFOLs can volunteer to be workshop organizers.

Downloads

Lego Serious Play Core Process Imaginopedia: lego-serious-play-core-process-imaginopedia.pdf
User Requirements with Lego: user-requirements-with-lego.pdf

Comments

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Jeroen Spoelstra

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December 27, 2011, 05:04PM
I really like the idea of using Lego Serious Play. Let the people in the neighborhood build and learn while they are revitalizing their city.

Maybe you can only use the basic principle of the LSP and use materials (cardboard, wood, paper, foam or recycled materials) that are found in the neighborhood?
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Paul Reader

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December 15, 2011, 03:14AM
Great idea Avi!
I imagine many AFOLS would love to be involved

GOMA has some inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9sGx6xyOX0&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhRhqCGd7Rc&feature=related
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Kara Pecknold

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December 07, 2011, 06:59AM
I know how much you dig the Serious Play, Avi! What would it look like to engage a company like Steelcase to assist with the implementation of the ideas that are generated from the prototyping experience? Or an architecture firm?

I think of Elemental working on housing in Chile and how they invited a community to essentially design what they could afford: http://www.elementalchile.cl/viviendas/renca/renca/

This way, the ideas could become realized. What does a "Lego Hood" look like in a new vibrant city?
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Avi Solomon's reply to Jeroen Spoelstra's comment

Avi Solomon

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December 07, 2011, 02:35PM
Kara, I am not beholden to Lego:) I remember making clay models of my ideal house at a Cob building workshop. Here's an example:
http://coloradocob.blogspot.com/2010/12/cob-home-model.html

Working with Steelcase is a good idea - maybe someone from the Steelcase challenge team can chime in?
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Anne-Laure Fayard's reply to Jeroen Spoelstra's comment

Anne-Laure Fayard

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December 10, 2011, 03:45AM

Nice Avi! I think Legos are a great tool to help people think and engage.

I like Kara's idea of working with Steelcase, potentially in collaboration with the Lego Foundation for the prototyping phase per Anne's suggestion.
I think it is important to think of how to give access to the legos to the community members, help them prototype and then move from brainstorming and prototyping to implementing. In that sense, I think, partners will make the difference.

Kara, thanks for sharing the elementalchile link. They do really interesting work.

al
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Anne Kjaer Riechert

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December 06, 2011, 11:47PM
One potential (financial) partner for the development of this idea is the LEGO foundation:

http://www.lego-fonden.dk/index.php?id=32&L=1
http://www.legochildrensfund.org/

I by the way love the idea, and thanks for sharing the videos. I had not heard of Lego Serious Play for Education before.
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Meena Kadri

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December 06, 2011, 11:14PM
Interesting, Avi. Any thoughts on support that might be provided to help participants turn their visualisations into reality? Maybe a collaboration with Sarah's Vibrancy in a Box concept?
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