On June 13, more than 150 policymakers, teachers, researchers and students gathered in Delft for the national knowledge-sharing day of the City Deal Knowledge Making (CDKM). The theme Smart people don’t understand everything set the tone: knowledge alone is not enough – co-creation, collaboration and doing are central. Location X on the TU Delft campus and various project locations in Delft West: Voorhof, Tanthof and Buitenhof, provided the setting for a day full of workshops, meetings and inspiring examples from twenty Dutch cities.
The Knowledge Making City Deal is a national partnership between municipalities, knowledge institutions and social partners. The goal: to tackle social issues faster and more effectively by actively linking education and research to the city. By structurally involving students, teachers and researchers in today’s challenges – from quality of life to health and sustainability – the city becomes a rich learning environment and a breeding ground for talent development and innovation.
From the Expertise Network Systemic Co-Design (ESC), we contributed with the workshop How do you do co-design? Guided by Liliya Terzieva and Heleen Geerts (Lectoraat Designing Value Networks of The Hague University of Applied Sciences), Guido Stompff (InHolland University of Applied Sciences), Lenny van Onselen (Utrecht University of Applied Sciences) and Frank Evers (ESC), participants got to work themselves with a number of co-design tools developed within ESC. Think Living Lab stakeholder mapping tool called ‘Mountain View’ and the Co-Design Canvas: methods that visually and interactively help to structure collaboration, involve different perspectives and design action.
During the workshop, we explored how, as a policymaker or change agent, you can work in co-creation for systems change. The reactions to the workshop were enthusiastic: “I can get started with this in no time. It gave me immediate ideas to apply in my own team tomorrow.” The session underlined the importance of making time for design, reflection, interaction as well as practicing new ways of working together.
We look back on an inspiring day and thank the organization and partners of CDKM for this opportunity to contribute to this national network. ESC remains committed to strengthening the connection between practice, research and education, with systemic co-design as the connecting approach.
