reuse.city

Help needed!

I am investigating how digital technologies can significantly reduce waste in urban contexts, by promoting the reuse of second-hand goods and materials. My specific focus is on practices of repair, upcycling and re-circulation, seeking economic as well as social and environmental outcomes locally. This is all part of my PhD research in an EU-funded doctoral programme called OpenDoTT. You can find more information about it in my research blog.

In the current phase I am inviting people to co-design and prototype speculative technologies to help assess the potential value of materials, and establish ways in which that value is realised to the benefit of local societies.

Online co-design lab

During four weeks (between April 5th and April 30th 2021) I am working in the open in various manners to sketch, discuss, prototype and experiment ideas such as an universal registry of things, as well as various interfaces to access it. I expect also to advance concept ideas related to public infrastructure for waste prevention, and policies to support those ideas. Learn more about the lab and how it relates to my research here.

This online co-design lab is open and free to anyone interested in discussing and creating around themes such as zero waste, circular economy, maker cultures, regenerative design, critical urban studies and other related fields. As well as providing particular outcomes to be incorporated in my research, I also expect to facilitate the emergence of a community of people interested in such themes and the collaboration between them.

Those who sign up will be invited to a series of online activities and meetings troughout the duration of the lab. Participants are welcome at any point.

Documentation about the lab will be primarily maintained in this git repository and this playlist on youtube. Regular updates will be posted to twitter and shared with participants via an exclusive e-mail discussion list.

Sign up

Participants interested in joining in are required to sign up beforehand. This step is mandatory to participate on the online meetings, email discussion list and other activities, as this is an academic research that needs to adhere to ethics oversight from Northumbria University.

People from diverse fields of knowledge, ages and locations are welcome at any point. The workshop requires however that participants have a sufficient understanding of English in order to adhere to Northumbria University's ethics regulations.