A participatory protocol for ecologically informed design within river catchments

摘要

The European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD) offers an unparalleled opportunity for improving river basin management, whilst moving towards a sustainable future. Sustainable management of water requires integrated planning, recognising interconnections between systems operating at different levels of scale. This is an endeavour in which systems thinking could provide useful tools. Systems orientated models can facilitate work across levels of scale, enhance dialogue, and improve perception of the 'whole picture'. This research examined the emerging role of active participation in 'planning for sustainability' in the context of river catchments. The DesignWays process, developed by the author, was tested in the context of regeneration in the Mersey Basin of Northwest England. The development of DesignWays was a conscious attempt to embed 'new paradigm' living systems metaphors into a participatory protocol for ecologically informed design. The research tested DesignWays at the landscape and site levels of scale, using an action-based, interpretive methodology. Challenges posed by the WFD were identified, from which criteria were developed for assessing this approach. Interviews were conducted with participants before and after the process, providing data about changes in understanding resulting from their experience. Interviews with key decision makers in the NorthWest were used to test and develop the findings. This research had two major outcomes: a contribution to theory through an in-depth exploration of the theoretical basis of participatory, ecologically informed design, as exemplified by the DesignWays approach; and a contribution to practice through investigating its potential to meet key challenges of the WFD. This research points to the importance of understanding participatory planning as a societal process, aiming to make the process engaging and meaningful. It explored the value of integrating participatory planning and education for sustainability. It demonstrated the benefits of an iterative process in which planning at the landscape level of scale informs, and is informed by, work at the site level. It has shown that an approach consistent with a living systems paradigm can contribute to the development of more integrated, ecologically sound solutions.