Reflecting on how science-design processes at the interface between ecology-geomorphology-art-design-manufacturing-engineering can lead to important innovations and models of practice.

As human populations rapidly urbanise and urban ecosystems and geosystems continue to degrade, there is an urgent need to green the greyest parts of our cities for biodiversity and climate change adaptation, as well as to create spaces where humans can interact and engage with nature. Although scientists and ecologists are often asked to inform designers, engineers and manufacturers engaged in integrated greening of grey infrastructures, it is rare for science-design collaborations to lead innovation and implementation in this field. We outline a long-term multidisciplinary project in which proven ecosystems engineering science was used as a starting point for a co-creating a collaborative, innovative multifunctional design; this co-design process can influence ecosystems engineering practices at various scales. 

 

Working on infrastructure projects involves people who speak very different languages and who have very different priorities and practical agendas working collaboratively. This can bring tensions as well as potentialities, both of which can affect implementation of innovation at scale. Increasingly, calls are being made by ecologists, social scientists and local communities for more reflexive practices in urban ecosystems projects which are working across traditional boundaries, to help steer a way through these complexities. Engaging in these processes is not an optional extra but a necessary part of the changes we need to make together. Responding to urgent demands to improve climate resilience, empower communities, and reduce the "extinction of experience of nature" facing many humans in urban areas, while also alleviating the effects of climate change on humans and built infrastructures, is daunting for practitioners. We reflect on our collaborative practice with academics and practical designers, mould makers and manufacturers, to share our learnings and introduce a visual / technical science-design process guide. We hope this will be valuable to those seeking collaborative ways of working on science-design projects that have practical infrastructure applications.