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Using the low-tech concept to create scenarios: an analysis of its potential to design for sustainable urban future

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2024

Flore Vallet  and
Tjark Gall
Flore Vallet*
Affiliation:
Pôle Léonard de Vinci, France Laboratoire Genie Industriel, CentraleSupélec, Université Paris-Saclay, France IRT SystemX, France
Tjark Gall
Affiliation:
Laboratoire Genie Industriel, CentraleSupélec, Université Paris-Saclay, France
*
[email protected]

Abstract

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Designers must be equipped with methods to contribute to sustainability transitions. Scenario planning arose as approach to integrate future uncertainties while the low-tech concept promotes technological discernment. This paper looks at how low-tech fuelled scenario planning. Analysing institutional and archetypical scenarios shows a partial integration through high and low-tech extremes. However, more nuanced considerations are lacking. This paper shows that low-tech can bring an interesting dimension to future scenarios and thus contributes to method development for sustainable design.

Keywords

scenariolow-techarchetypeuncertaintysocio-technical systems
Type
Design for Sustainability
Information
Proceedings of the Design Society , Volume 4: DESIGN 2024 , May 2024 , pp. 1487 - 1496
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
The Author(s), 2024.

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