Events

Public defence in Design, M. Arch Elif Öztekin

The title of the thesis is Design in community-led transitions: Learning across contexts, actors, dimensions and levels of change
An experimentation site
An experimentation site where the integration of biogas energy production (from food waste) and soil-free plant cultivation (for small scale food production) is explored and prototyped, Community of Suderbyn, Sweden. Source: Elif Öztekin.

MArch Elif Öztekin will defend the thesis “Design in community-led transitions: Learning across contexts, actors, dimensions and levels of change" on 10 June 2022 at 12:00 in Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Department of Design, in lecture hall H304, Otakaari 1, Espoo, and online in Zoom.

Opponent: Prof. Ingrid Mulder, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
Custos: Prof. Idil Gaziulusoy, Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Department of Design

The public defence will be organized via remote technology. Follow defence: https://aalto.zoom.us/j/69751938998
Zoom Quick Guide: https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/zoom-quick-guide

Thesis available for public display at: https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/doc_public/eonly/riiputus/
Doctoral theses in the School of Arts, Design and Architecture: https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/54

Press release:

In the face of growing social, ecological, economic and well-being problems, global societies are urged to radically shift societal trajectories towards sustainable and just futures. Such a shift requires challenging the predominant ways of thinking, organising and doing, and reframing new ones. In relation to this, sustainability transitions refer to a comprehensive learning process in which all the parties of our societies need to get engaged.

This thesis examines how design facilitates learning in transitions with its experimental and collaborative modes of inquiry and to what extent. In doing so, it focuses on the everyday contexts of sustainability transitions where civil society actors utilise design as a means to leverage change from the bottom up. The case study comprises four community initiatives (in Portugal, Germany and Sweden) who design, build and manage the sustainability transformations of their settlements and one network of similar initiatives.

The findings illustrate that design processes go hand in hand with action, learning and change. The experimental and collaborative inquiries of design facilitate local change and organisational learning, on the one hand, and initiate large-scale changes and societal learning, on the other.

Contact information of doctoral candidate:

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