Cities as overlapping layers of supply chain networks.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Cities can be looked at as an overlapping layers of supply chain networks where city function is characterised by transfer and exchange of resources and commodities sometimes physical and sometimes virtual. Where physical supply chain network comprises of resource and commodity distribution namely supply of distributed labour to centres of production (work place) as well as from food supply chain to e-commerce delivery network, to retail supply chain to hierarchy of logistics distribution. Virtual supply chain network may be understood as communication supply chain where information is being transferred and exchanged as knowledge commodity through a complex network of embedded channels like social, professional and educational media. Hybrid nature of network is also witnessed like in form of print media, which still essentially deals with transfer and communication of knowledge, again a commodity.

 

That being said, there is immense untapped potential of these network of supply chain which can be harnessed in a city or region, in a business as usual scenario (though some innovative use of such network is witnessed in times of crisis). Two clear advantages are there, first if each of these network could do some improvement in its existing network configuration, making network suitable for repurpose to serve additional objectives without much expenditure. Second, if these networks (like a conduit) could leverage each others network strength in some part of its supply chain, it may immediately yield in optimisation, and better rate of return for businesses.

To leave with some thoughts, in a hypothetical scenario, WHETHER, businesses of similar nature and trade, widely distributed in a metropolis (with their individual labour supply network) will collaborate, brainstorm and swap/ exchange with each other, some of their employees who commute from a very long distance every work day, with those employees (with comparable qualification) who live in neighbourhood of these businesses; in a way that both set of employees swapped get to live and work in its original neighbourhood. It may be a win-win situation for both businesses and individuals.

Likewise for instance global aid networks (like those dealing in emergency food and nutrition), who have reach to remotest parts of world, can use their existing distribution network to support and exchange other noble global causes by joining hands - like supply of frugal innovation test kits, knowledge and awareness OR documentation of native cultural traditions and craft OR linking native art and craft to global market using its existing food supply network for instance.

Author: Anoop Jha

#urbanmanagement #urbanplanning #supplychain #network #smartcity #sustainability #resilience #future #innovation

What with (typical) agenda of bicycle, why it captures popular imagination and what is the missing piece of puzzle!

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Why people support and promote bicycle agenda? Some support considering it is environmentally sustainable, promotes healthy life and community; some, reconsidering their values, choices and transportation means due to new enlightenment on subject, emerging from social, professional and commercial media. Social media in a sense that captures bicycle in all its action and glory all the time; professional media in a sense every alternate post talking about subject of new mobility beyond fossil fuel; and commercial media in a sense those promoted by scores of new businesses emerging almost everyday around idea of bicycle, bicycle infrastructure, MaaS etc. 

A lot is happening in this space of bicycle, micromobility and at its periphery, as its still easier for an individual or a group of people to think of building a business around the subject of bicycle,  e-bicycle, e-scooters etc. So we see lot of buzz and momentum around the bicycle agenda.

Why even some of those people support bicycle agenda even if they don’t own a bicycle. Possibly they relate more bicycles with safer streets, so good for them irrespective.

There are those who own car but still support bicycle agenda, either they use less car and more bicycle and public transport OR simply to go with the popular opinion OR to distinguish themselves from other (bad?) car owners, considering themselves good car owners. This including cars of all shape, size and fuel types.

Then from a panoramic world view-

There are those who support and want to use bicycle but they don’t have access to bicycle tracks and bicycle infrastructure in their city. (They are many)

There are those individuals and dual income household who / at least one of them cannot bicycle to work due to long distance of work place. (They are many too)

Lets just not talk about role of weather here, as there are always both examples to quote.

There are those individuals and those households who can't even afford  the bicycle, whether for individual or for whole family. (There are way to many)

Lets also not forget those, who cannot manage without car, or cannot manage only with bicycle, considering the kind of personal, household or professional situation they are in. (Health, ability, old dependent members, household members with special needs etc.) (There are still many)

So, contrary to the popular notion, bicycle agenda is a complex subject, its not always about either “for” or “against” if you assess subject at global level, going beyond city and neighbourhood. Typical bicycle agenda has certainly lot to do with reducing dependency on fossil fuel, health and safer streets, but researchers, planners and policy makers must consider that individual, household and community choices are not always obvious or easy.

#bicycle #bike
[Views and observations are personal]

Author: Anoop Jha

How to inculcate transparent practices in planning and product development.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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We see packaged food products with a label on the back displaying what constituents, what proportions, of how much calories, what all vitamins and minerals, also sometimes seen, how ethically raw materials were sourced and from which regions, how sustainably product was made; and we start to see consumers making and mending their choices accordingly, and in turn businesses starting to revisit and reinvent their product line to match up with the emerging expectations of new age customers, those who are increasingly aware of the impact that their purchase choices are going to make on world, on environment and on generations to come. 

May be, its time that “buildings”, (may be by choice of developers and with help of architects or by statutory provision), start displaying their constituents, rationale of material choices, ethical sourcing of material, direct and indirect jobs created during construction and afterwards, mechanism planned and adopted to assure fair treatment and due payments to labour involved, building’s embodied energy in total and per household or per occupant, projected operational energy usage per household, building's carbon offsetting programme and period (if at all); in turn allowing investors and buyers to make reasonable and responsible real estate decisions; that may also prompt occupants to make further responsible operational choices and adjustments in their lifestyle, on realising their material footprints, on visualising their energy consumption and more. 

Its not about putting someone in difficult spot but about keeping pace with time, being more and more aware and responsible, possibly to drive change away from decades of inertia. 

Author: Anoop Jha

Knowing what you are dealing with is the first step of planning –A typical case of island research and development

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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A typical island, having a strong contained geographic and resource connotation, with a peculiarity of inside-outside, what is there and what in not, been there or not, whether to be disturbed or not

Close-knit native, historical and vernacular communities, having a symbiotic relationship with outside world

Embedded vulnerability due to delicate equilibrium of ecology, microclimate, demography and economy

Higher susceptibility to climate change effects, hazards, communication and supply chain blockage, energy shortage

Embodiment of contradictions – island’s opportunity is its threat, its remoteness is its attractiveness, its abundance is cause of its exhaustion, its beauty and tranquility are its curse, though a place of rejuvenation it also needs a period of uninterrupted rejuvenation

Our time-tested universal success models from planning to business to governance may still fall short of meeting the distinct needs, context and expectations of island geography, community and its biosphere 

Changes we intend to do there and in surroundings might have a nonlinear impact and may me irreversible

Success here may mean different things to different stakeholders. 

Author: Anoop Jha

#island #islandplanning #communityplanning #urbanplanning #islandmanagement #biodiversity #climatechange #travel #tourism #destination #Rotterdam #Netherlands #oceancommunities

Not anytime sooner AI or ChatGPT will surpass human intelligence or completely fulfil human desire for excellence.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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As the saying goes - there are finer fishes in the ocean then ever been caught. Likewise, there is way too much human experiences than ever been documented, way too much knowledge then ever been published, countless layers of emotions then ever been fathomed. Worth mentioning, as above knowledge and experiences never made their way to big data with which machines are being trained in principle.

Machine intelligence may amuse one, may even trick one, for a moment or two for sure, may serve the worldly purpose to much extent as well, but not going to surpass human intelligence (not in terms of weather prediction) and instinct any time sooner, neither fulfil their quest and expectations. Needs of human intellect is more than ever possibly to be fulfilled by machine or AI, at least not in near term.

History is dotted with precedents. Take a look at art for instance, photography and digital media were perceived to have immense disruptive potential, and they actually disrupted creativity and aesthetics, but never could kill art, rather made art more stronger. Take example of internet, it had potential to disrupt knowledge and it did, but could never uproot academia, rather it strengthened it. Take for instance cars, there was technically no going back to non-motorised vehicle, but bicycle prevailed and rather going stronger. When there came polyester, there was no going back to handloom, but it left people longing even more for cotton. Likewise the advent of genetically modified food and reactionary human quest for organic produce. And robots that could never render manpower obsolete.

As human needs and reactions to external events are way complex, hence their self organising tendency around any new disruption is also evident. Human being prefer to dwell at the borderline of existence, to have a chance to immerse oneself in experience in one instance (sometimes driven by technology) and withdraw in private seclusion in next moment. Essentially delocalised and never to be confined in one orbit.

Human quest remains unchallenged, as there is no technology which can quench their thirst, their quest for excellence, and search for newness. The best thing one can do in such times of technological flux is to embrace the change and keep calm!

Author: Anoop Jha

#technology #ChatGPT #AI #ML #bigdata #machinelearning #futuretech #disruption #smartcity #urbanplanner #architect #Rotterdam #Hague #Eindhoven #Utrecht #Amsterdam #Netherlands

Image:Pixabay 

Rotterdam #Art day out!

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Its always refreshing to find some time to catch up with ones hobby. Visited few art galleries in Rotterdam last week. Mesmerized to see impressive works of many international artists on display, mostly dominated by contemporary, abstract and surreal fine art style. Coincidently it was amidst ongoing #RotterdamArtweek.

One of the #artgallery owner was kind enough to spend some time to discuss about some of the paintings including one of his favorite one on display. I also took opportunity to show him pictures of my past hobby art works (sketches/ paintings) and get some quick feedback, validation and handy tips to improvise on hobby craft sometime in future. Sharing snippets of my old artwork, which the gentleman found interesting enough in terms of contemporary art scene.

Gallery owner was very generous to give some handy tips and food for thought to ponder, he being in creative business for quite some time; saying these days its fine to blend different art styles, also may be good idea to have a contemporary and international take on history, culture and roots, from the place of origin of artist, also explaining why it may be important to pay equal attention to all parts of painting including foreground and background, he took time to show and explain finer details of some of the works on display.

We talked about how #arthelps transcend time, possibly also helping new generation to connect with past and how art may help foster dialogue.

Having interest in art has certainly helped me during #architecture study, but also as an urban planner and on path of being an urban management professionals it has often helped me find order, pattern, as well as finding innovative, creative and humane solutions to challen
ges of modern city life, #urbanplanning and #urbanmanagement.

Author: Anoop Jha

Image/Work: Author

#Rotterdam #artgallery #urbanplanning #Architecture #netherlands #art 

Week of Circular Economy 2023 (Week van de Circulaire Economie)

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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As the Week of Circular Economy 2023 (Week van de Circulaire Economie) ended; thought of looking back at own previous attempts to instill circular practices in DIY projects and found a quick experimental interior design installation from archive, that one made way back using bunch of wasted (printed/ unusable) A4 papers. With little creativity
, honeycomb arrangement and some back light it seem to worked well.

Thinking about concept of circular economy in a generic way and looking at cities as being an organic whole, also looking from cultural and economic perspective; with little observation and recollection we realize that circular practices have been part and parcel to many nations, cultures and communities across the world and throughout the history. Sometimes due to cultural influences or sometimes due to economic necessity they seem to apply circular practices by instinct, like being resource efficient, sharing resources and products within large joint families and close-knit community, using products overs generations, innovative use of material, keeping the material and products in loop by changing hands, repurposing etc.

Also, as resources are being increasingly scarce, one of the best things we can do to increase awareness about circular transition in modern city context, practices and products, is to introduce the concept of circular economy in educational curriculum from the very early stage and onwards.

#circulareconomy #architecture #interiordesign #circulartransition #Netherlands #WeekofCircularEconomy #weekvandecirculaireeconomie