Uploaded on 2017-06-04 by Erika Suzuki

1. your task for this week is to describe your own idea for a Citizen Design Science project! I have been working for a project in Parramatta, Western Sydney. Our client is planning to purchase the existing hotel and would like to maximize the use of the site. Parramattta currently is one of the most actively developing area in Sydney. High rise buildings and large shopping center and also NSW government started an infrastructure project to open light rail connecting western area by 2023. The hotel locates in B4 mixed use zone and there is no floor space ratio requirements. Maximum height is 14m however LEP might remove this limit in future. There are a 1-2 stories housing next to the site and the light rail will run right across behind the site in near future. There is an approved plan of 7 stories apartment in adjacent site which will definitely impact to this development. If I can implement a citizen design science to this project I would like to introduce those ideas and process. 1. Stay in the hotel a few days to understand how this hotel run the business. 2. Interview staffs and also visitors who stay in the hotel. Find what their needs are and what could be improved. 3. Create website with questionnaires to ask residences who live around the site. What they want to improve in this area. 4. Invite people who live or work in this area and also interested in involving the design and development. 5. With specialists including planner, client, and us designers, listen and discuss with people who is voluntarily providing their local experience and opinion. 6. Update each stages of the development onto website and 24 hours open discussions to review design. I think the importance of citizen design science is to provide the opportunity to build strong sense of community and bring connectivity of local empowerment. It takes I am sure that much longer process and it is really hard to make this idea to reality because sometimes residences are not really interested in involving, lack of knowledge, cost issue, time issue, etc. There might be a good chance to start with public facility but this I believe requires the good mayor who is willing to listen and open to local residences and happy to invest effort, time and moeny to create something amazing. Citizen Design Science is at this moment I think very begging but surly technology could help collecting voices from locals and create great chance to minimize time and cost to do so. Therefore also us designer and specialists need to change our mindset and think again how to take the journey of design process in order to create the better city and environment for our future and new generations.