Applied Science, Faculty of
Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of
DSpace
UBCV
Kwok, Jonathan
The graduate project explores chaos theory as a design framework for landscape architecture and other fields of design. It is argued that due to the Anthropocene, the economic, social, and ecological systems are hyper-connected with one another, however it is the economic system that is dictating social welfare and ecological health. This connection of systems create a situation where urban planning and landscape design is highly dependent on monetary goals of profit and cost saving. The overarching inquiry examines chaos theory’s potential to challenge economic-centric systems, to address social needs, and offer to sustainable solutions to climate change. Design interventions will mimic chaotic behaviors in complex adaptive systems. The interventions will take form as a zine booklet for users to manifest their needs in their landscape. Oppenheimer Park, in Vancouver, BC, is selected to experiment on how these interventions will unfold into society. The system encompassing Oppenheimer Park will be modeled as a strange attractor. Design interventions will be used to alter the attractor’s parameters to test how it will behave in a simulation, giving landscape architects a framework on on how their design goals may impact landscape interactions.
Chaos Design: Designing for Change,with Change.Student : Jonathan KwokAdvisor : Sara JacobsUniversi ty of Br i t ish Columbia , School of Archi tecture and Landscape Archi tecture.2023 - 20243ABSTRACT 4 INTRODUCTION 5 LITERATURE REVIEW 7 CHAOS THEORY - BIFURCATIONS - EMERGENCE 8 COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS AND CLIMATE CHANGE 10 THE ECONOMIC-CENTRIC SYSTEM AND THE CAPITALIST PARADIGM 11 CONCLUSION 12 PRECEDENT STUDIES 14 STOLON MESH 2023 15 PAINT DRYING 2016 17 FOLLY FOREST 2022 19 PRECEDENT CONCLUSION 21SITE MATTERS 22 OPPENHEIMER PARK 27 SITE ANALYSIS 30 SITE REVIEW 38 SITE FUTURES 41CONCEPT ISSUE 42CONCEPT STATEMENT 43PROGRAM 44 INTERVENTION 45 INTERVENING OPPENHEIMER PARK 84CHAOS FRAMEWORK 92 STRANGE ATTRACTORS 93 DTES ATTRACTOR 95CONCLUSION 98FIGURES 99REFERENCES 102This 2023 - 2024 graduate project is submitted in part ia l ful f i l lment for the Master of Landscape Archi tecture (MLA) from the School of Archi tecture and Landscape Archi tecture (SALA) at the Univers i ty of Br i t ish Columbia (UBC) , located on the unceded terr i tory of the Coast Sal ish Peoples , including the terr i tor ies of the xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) , Stó: lō and Səl ̓ í lwətaʔ/Sel i lwitu lh (Tsle i l - Waututh) Nat ions.A warm grat i tude for my graduate advisor Sara Jacobs for her cont inued support and enthusiasm for my thesis topic and interests .A special thanks to my classmates and future col leagues for their ongoing encouragement in my work.A recognit ion to the SALA instructors and faculty for their r igorous educat ion and commitment to the growth of the landscape archi tecture profession.An appreciat ion to Sister Chi ta of the Door is Open for her warmth and welcome to al l .A profound admirat ion for the complexi ty of our world .TABLE OF CONTENTS4 5The graduate project explores chaos theory as a design framework for landscape architecture and other fields of design. It is argued that due to the Anthropocene, the economic, social, and ecological systems are hyper-connected with one another, however it is the economic system that is dictating social welfare and ecological health. This connection of systems create a situation where urban planning and landscape design is highly dependent on monetary goals of profit and cost saving. The overarching inquiry examines chaos theory’s potential to challenge economic-centric systems, to address social needs, and offer to sustainable solutions to climate change. Design interventions will mimic chaotic behaviors in complex adaptive systems. The interventions will take form as a zine booklet for users to manifest their needs in their landscape. Oppenheimer Park, in Vancouver, BC, is selected to experiment on how these interventions will unfold into society. The system encompassing Oppenheimer Park will be modeled as a strange attractor. Design interventions will be used to alter the attractor’s parameters to test how it will behave in a simulation, giving landscape architects a framework on on how their design goals may impact landscape interactions. A landscape architect’s responsibility includes their intention of designing for aesthetics and comfort, to designing solutions in response to space-based problems. These design solutions often address the highlighted conflict that it was designed for, but in return produces more conflicts which other people are left to deal with. The development of green spaces leads to property prices being unaffordable (Sax, 2023); the demand for a design with everlasting materials and low maintenance constructs often come from materials that creates unsustainable by-products such as heavy-metal leaching from mining, greenhouse emissions from material processing, and environmental degradation from material extraction (Jowitt, 2020). In complex adaptive systems theory, a “system trap” describes feedback loops within a given system that can result in undesirable outcomes (Meadows, 2009). We are currently witnessing many of these negative outcomes in our physical and social landscape: wealth inequity, gentrification and socio-political tension, and a decrease in quality of the global ecosystem. The majority of industrial, architectural, and societal design that relies on statutory design instruments, such as masterplans and formal design languages, strive to maintain existing order (Gunder, 2018). Within systems theory, a problem originating from the given system cannot be solved with variables from the same system, thus a problem is a consequence of a system structure (Meadows, 2009). Based on catastrophe theory, within the context of complex adaptive systems, if a system is pushed past its threshold of disturbance allowance, then a system may undergo a catastrophe where a new state of equilibrium is maintained (Gros, 2015). If climate change is not addressed and fixed within this decade, our world will enter catastrophe and we will not be able to regain our previous ecological state. The effect of climate change will proceed to influence the economic system such as raw materials and resource availability, and the social system such as political responsibilities regarding climate disasters and social welfare. Chaos theory offers an alternative perspective on designing and ultimately creating society. The post-industrial world we are living in is built upon order and growth; the government at all levels aims to maintain order in the aspect of national interest which includes a healthy economy, and public health and safety; national interest may not be what society needs or deserves, but is often times used as a justification for control (Gunder, 2018). The capitalistic system that drives the economy is built upon an expectation of growth in the country’s GDP, projected revenue, and increasing profit efficiency that results in lowering production cost and increasing work. The adaptation, mitigation, and the prevention of global issues, such as wealth inequity, socio-political tensions, and climate change, will prove difficult under the given circumstances of our system: order and growth. By integrating complex adaptive systems in a landscape architecture design process, I will create a design framework based on chaos theory and will test the framework with dynamic design interventions. These interventions will be tested using chaos theory fundamentals known as strange attractors. Since planning and designing any landscape that is human-intervened or wild is a complex task, understanding complexity with the context of systems thinking is required (Cuonzo, 2022). In these complex systems, chaos is often taken as a negative deviance; it only exists to provide an anecdote to any unpredictable moment in our lives: “this is chaos” and “it is so chaotic” are the usual statements. As society approaches a new era of complexity and uncertainty due to the increasing intensity and frequency of climate change, the fallout of social injustice, and economic stress due to political strife and unsustainable growth, a new design framework needs to take into consideration the complexity of landscapes and its adjustments towards catastrophe: the chaos framework.ABSTRACT INTRODUCTIONFig 1. The three systems that interact with each other: the economy, the society, and the ecology. 6 7 The intention of this graduate project is to demonstrate design capabilities using parameters of chaos theory found in classical physics and complex adaptive systems. Using parameters of chaos: systems with 3 or more variables, sensitivity to conditions, and nonlinearity will provide novel alternatives to that of our current economic system – Order and Growth. Using chaos as a design framework closely resembles the ecological system that is currently struggling (Cuonzo, 2022). The ecosystem that provides our society with food and materials is inherently chaotic as multiple systems are working with and against each other. Chaos evokes a system to self-organize, to increase actor connectivity with other sub-systems in an ecosystem, and increase in resiliency to disturbances (Naydenov, 2021; Meadows, 2009). The three systems I will address simultaneously in the graduate project is the economy, the society, and the ecology (Fig 1.).ECONOMYECOLOGY SOCIETY Terminology surrounding chaos theory is widely studied and is found in many academic disciplines. The term chaos is often used as a surface level descriptor of unpredictability and shock, but there is more to chaos than a false unknown. In the book “Landscape - Patterns, Perception, and Process” by Simon Bell, chaos theory and landscape design appear in the same context, however they are in separate chapters and the author made no direct connection between the two concepts. Chaos is simply an explanation of landscape processes and patterns. The goal of the literature review is to better understand chaos theory in different disciplines. Complex adaptive systems will also play a role in the graduate project since chaos without a system is non-existent. The insight on complex adaptive systems will also help connect the relationship between the multiple systems that exist such as the ecological, economic, and social system. The Anthropocene has allowed these multiple systems to feedback on one and other, and it is possible for chaos to exist in all systems simultaneously.“But people have to know about disorder if they are going to deal with it.”- James Gleick “Chaos - Making a New Science (2015).L ITERATURE REVIEWFig 2. Paired diagrams of different scenarios of the three body problem (Wolfram, 2022). Variable (t) being the period of the scenario shows the evolution of the three variable acting on each other. Fig 3. A bifurcation equation and a modeled diagram of the phenomenon (Muller, 2020). The equation often describes how variables interact with each other within systems.8 9 Chaos is most commonly associated with physics and mathematics. Around the late 1800s, one of the earliest to vocalize the concept of chaos is a mathematician Henri Poincaré (Strogatz, 2015). This notion came about while questioning the three-body problem (how three bodies of mass affect each other in space due to gravity), a problem that Isaac Newton could not solve nor create equations to prove (Fig 2.). Poincaré also did not solve the problem but presented qualitative questions rather than quantitative in order to try to achieve a solution “Is the solar system stable forever, or will some planets eventually fly off to infinity?” (Strogatz, 2015). Poincaré’s work and his perspective on dynamic systems carried forth the beginning of chaos theory (Glieck, 2008; Strogatz, 2015). The notion of a deterministic systems with aperiodic behavior, which were sensitive to initial conditions and parameters, was later popularized by Edward Lorenz as he was famous for the Butterfly Effect. After showing his weather models to have the same variables initial parameters all while calculating distinctly different outcomes, the system structure was modeled on a computer which took shape as a butterfly, also known as the Lorenz attractor (Glieck, 2008; Strogatz, 2015). This event solidified the science and basic understanding of chaos theory: System dependent, non-linearity behavior, and sensitivity to conditions and parameters. All systems have a state of existence where they behave in a predictable manner, known as a stable state. This can be from linear relationships, nonlinear feedback with perturbation, and negative feedback loops (Glieck, 2008). When a system experiences instability due to unpredictable events, a system can transition into another state of stability or ongoing instability. A bifurcation is a system’s behavior to transition into different states of being, and a bifurcation point is system’s new state of being after the transition (Glieck, 2008; Strogatz, 2015). The study of bifurcations can help better understand actor behavior within a system such as population dynamics among prey and predator interactions (Fig 3.). When a system enters a new state of stability or instability, an emergence of new behaviors and traits will exists thus giving a system a new state of existence. Often times a system can transition back to its original state, however when that becomes physically impossible, then a catastrophe has occurred (Strogatz, 2015). Another way to define catastrophe is the moment a system evolved into an irreversible state. The topic of chaos theory is vast and complex. In pop culture it is used as a catchy clickbait descriptor to incite a range of emotions. When it is accurately described and defined, works on chaos are often found in textbooks and journals filled with technical jargon and equations that are only legible for those educated in the realm of physics and mathematics. Since chaos theory is system specific, different disciplines develop theorems of chaotic behaviors and interactions, and are found in ecological readings such as “Chaos in Ecology” by Cushing (2008), and economics, “Catastrophes and Chaos in Business Cycle Theory” by Jakimowicz (2010). Even in those works, Chaos theory is only used as a surface-level anecdote in explaining the immense complexity of the systems. Specific theorems are solved in these research papers, but their traits and equations would always relay back to chaos theory as a fundamental concept. Is chaos theory only meant to be a theoretical concept outside of physics and mathematics? Could chaos be used as a methodology rather than an interpretation of multi-system processes? In the discipline of landscape architecture, where designers collaborate in tandem with other experts in their industry, a perspective on dynamic systems and chaos would be highly valuable as many of these systems: ecology, biogeology, economics, and politics, are relevant to design. In a design, I would argue that feedbacks between different professional disciplines lead to chaos due to the complexity of different actor’s role in the design process, perhaps an actor prioritizing the development’s profit margin over the decision to maximize public space, or emphasizing land reclamation instead of urban spread.CHAOS THEORY - BIFURCATIONS - EMERGENCEFig 4. A model diagram of the cusp catastrophe theory (Li, 2020). A system can change its state of existence gradually from (a) to (c) shown on (l1), a gradual transition allows a system to revert back from (c) to (a), When a system undergoes catastrophe shown in (l2), a system can suddenly change but cannot revert back.10 11 In the previous works mentioned, chaos is calculated and rationalized with certain parameters for the purpose of understanding complexity and solving equations. Methodology for chaos studies require that the system is hypothesized and the parameters for calculations are set for solvability and research. What happens when chaos is understood outside of a computer model? Examples of chaos theory extends into works by Cushing (2008) which looks into population dynamics in ecology, and Jakimoxicz (2010) who explores the topic of the cyclic nature in the economics of businesses. These types of research shed light onto the nature of systems and their adaptive capabilities. In reality, Gros (2015) states that systems are naturally dynamic and adaptive, both being mutually non-exclusive. There is a slight nuance that exist in complex adaptive systems. What makes a system dynamic is the relationship between multiple variables, whether it is linear or non-linear relationships, and the common trait among adaptive systems is the alternation between different states, whether unstable or stable (Gros 2015). What is interesting is that dynamic systems with three dimensions or higher will show chaotic behavior, similar to the three-body problem mentioned earlier. The behavior of systems to be adaptive is the trait that allow it to alter between different states of existence; the only thing that changes is the parameters. Traits include feedback loops, self organization, and connections, which are all subject to chaotic behavior (Yin & Herfel, 2011). Based on this frame of information, systems that are dynamic and adaptive are highly complex and inherently chaotic. It could be argued that most of our systems: ecological, economical, and social, are complex adaptive systems. In the Anthropocene, we have made these systems mutually non-exclusive to each other, thus adding to the complexity to each system. It is shown that our economy is heavily tied to ecosystem services, and current business models that utilizes the ecosystem often draw from value co-creation which the consumer is influenced by their environment (Lusch, 2016). Catastrophe is the event where a system transitions into another state with the inability to revert to its previous state with its former characteristics (Fig 4.). One fast-approaching catastrophe that will affect all systems on earth is climate change. Westman et al. (2022) explains that crises such as climate change, pandemics, and economic challenges are intertwined, compounding on each other. The paper uses complex adaptive systems to analyze the connection between all of these crises, and further argues that complex adaptive systems are effective at creating interdisciplinary discussion, holistic understanding, and tangible frameworks to address these crises. Drawing from works in physics, Pacheco et al. (2014) was able to theoretically model a social concept of political governance, and create probability models of cooperation and organization at an individual and collective level. This study is in the context of how might a social system act towards a climate crisis based on set parameters such as variations on governance and self- organization. They acknowledge that human behavior is very complex and their theoretical models work within a set of predictable parameters of error, thus using concepts related to “statistical mechanics of non-equilibrium stochastic processes” to simplify the parameters of their models (Pacheo et al., 2014). Their methodology acknowledges the complexity of human behavior on an important issue, and hypothesizes that their behaviors can be models based on traits that are also found in complex adaptive systems. Their paper’s model clearly shows evidence of physics concepts transferring as a successful methodology to address a complex issue. The main question remains: how can we integrate chaos theory as a design philosophy? How might landscape architecture benefit from chaos theory in the face of climate catastrophe? The ecological environment is at risk of collapsing due to climate change. Hagens (2020) outlines that society needs to reframe its economic priorities to reduce impacts on climate change. Currently, our economic system requires consistent or exponential growth at the cost of natural and non-renewable resources. The growth of GDP for countries has led to increases in greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and environmental degradation. Hagens (2020) admits that our growth in the economy and in human population is to blame, but still advocates for a new economic paradigm that is still built upon growth. This requires humans to be perceived as superorganisms, and for economic growth to experience absolute decoupling. This is based on the assumptions that humans as a society need to follow certain social parameters, similar to a hive mind, and for renewable energy production to surpass fossil fuel consumption. Herein lies a major issue, the capitalist paradigm and the economic-centric system. King (2021) writes about the similarities of the economic superorganisms to that of a biological organism that consumes to grow and seeks survival. The author draws the comparison as both the economic superorganisms and biological organism requires energy to survive, thus consuming more than what the metabolism exhausts. Grant (2018) has dedicated a chapter on growth management theory in the relation to urban planning with ties to economic growth. The majority of economists and planners would believe that the economy requires continuous growth, but to what end? It is ingrained in society that growth is inevitable. If anything is learned from complex adaptive systems, is that systems will experience bifurcations and will transition from different system states. Systems will experience periods of growth and periods of recessions, but all dynamic systems never act linearly to what capitalism prefers. Can an infinite economic system grow and feed off of a fixed ecological system? Renewable and natural resources are abundant if sustainably managed, but Hagens (2020) and King (2021) admit that society is consuming far more than what the earth can replace, thus fueling climate change. As much as landscape architects and city planners claim they are interdisciplinary and that their work encompasses holistic views, the landscape-based profession is still built upon economics, growth and control. Gunder et al. (2018) mentions that planning has been a tool for colonial powers to instill control. For countries that have not yet experienced colonization, planning became a tool for the elite class that only prioritized their own goals and values (Gunder et al. 2018). If we can not solve problems with the same tools used to create them, and if we can not out-think the economic-centric issues because the global economy is too deep in the capitalist paradigm, then how can we change our toolkits and perspectives in order to change the outcomes of our global crisis such as climate change? One possible perspective is chaos theory.COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS IN RELATION TO CLIMATE CHANGETHE ECONOMIC-CENTRIC SYSTEM AND THE CAPITALIST PARADIGMFig 5. Diagram by Westman et al. (2022) describes the challenges associated when conflicts compound on each other. Conflicts can originate from any system, and perpetuate a positive feedback on other conflicts.12 13 It seems that the physics research articles were written with the understanding that the system has boundaries and limits, and the given study should better understand the physical properties and traits of their research concept within the parameters of its system, whether it be reality or a computer model with specific parameters. Academics in ecology and environmental sciences understand that the system is dynamic and adaptive, will always be changing and unpredictable due to its complexities, and that biogeographic processes self-regulate. Economic journals believe that although the system is complex and unpredictable, they argue that society should be monetarily motivated to exploit the system and to ignore its boundaries in order to maximize gross domestic product, fiscal efficiency, and innovation all while acknowledging the earth is finite. Across all disciplines and their understanding of complex adaptive systems, the economic-centric perspective dominates global society. Rees (2018) discusses that landscape and urban planning revolves around economic goals and suggests immediate change is required for the growth-based economy to transition into a steady-state economy. It is apparent from the articles that we have sustainable technologies and that change is necessary (Grant, 2018; Gunder et al., 2018; Hagens, 2020; King, 2021; Pacheo et al., 2014; Rees, 2018). Noted by Gunder et al. (2018) that planning is a toolkit for those of the elites and powerful; it would not make sense to change anything and to maintain the status quo since people of the top 1% of the economic spectrum benefit most from the capitalist paradigm. Change needs to happen not solely as suggestion but as immediate action, and chaos theory shows that a sudden intense bifurcation is required to incite a system catastrophe, thus changing a system permanently. System resilience is defined by the system’s ability to absorb change and disturbance (Westman et al. 2022). If we expect our global systems to withstand the climate catastrophe, then we need to include chaos as a design framework to better make our landscapes more resilient and adaptable. This framework would consider the economic, social, and ecological systems, and utilize the connectedness between each system since they often have common actors (Fig 5.). The climate catastrophe that affects our forest would affect the monetary value of lumber in the economic system, the intrinsic value of green space in the social system, and the ecosystem services in the ecological systems. Based on the literature review that the ecological system is dynamic and adaptable, I would argue that designing with a chaotic framework would be replicating nature’s behaviors and resiliency. In contrast to the current economic-centric system of growth and control, our other systems such as the social and environmental systems are affected. A new paradigm of design that would support nature’s adaptive systems: feedback loops, self-organizations, and the strengthening of networks, may prove to be of benefit.CONCLUSION“What else, when chaos draws all forces inward To shape a single leaf.”- Conrad Aiken “The Room” (1930)Fig 6. Artwork “Stolons” by Noelle Lee, 2023.Fig 7. Instagram Post. @221A and @c_l_battle, 2023.14 15 Chaos theory in the context of landscape architecture provides opportunities to change the social paradigm that governs the contemporary design language and capitalistic priorities in our economic-centric system. Keeping in mind that although the goal is to produce and incite change, a realistic view would encompass an intervention that incites discussion. Following the chaotic principle of sensitivity to conditions and parameters, it should only take one intervention to see change grow. Below are precedents of interventions that are minimal in action, but have created conversation and potentially propagating a cultural shift in our anthropogenic domain. Stolon Mesh is a community-based project designed by Christina Battle and a non-profit organization 221A (221A, 2023). The site is located at 271 Union St and began as a vacant lot, which was turned into a public garden with native plants by designer Skwxwú7mesh/Sto:Lo/Hawaiian/Swiss artist T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss (Fig 6.). This space is called “Semi-Public 半公開”and is operated by 221A. The goal of Stolon Mesh is to create a network-based infrastructure that will provide a digital common space (Fig 7.). This site offers free Wi-Fi to users in the Downtown East side and Chinatown. This project is relatively new, just beginning November 1st, 2023. With their goal of creating a digital common space, one would assume that anyone in the vicinity could use the Wi-Fi. Looking at the site, there is a fence that blocks the entrance with a sign “Semi-Public” (Fig 8.). Even if the fence is unlocked, the infrastructure of a physical barrier to a space infringes the sense of freedom and movement. The name Semi-Public also emphasizes that its supposedly public, but not “actually”. Its understandable that perhaps the fence is to keep vandalism out, but that defeats the purpose of a public space. On their manifesto listed on their website, one of their points is that “this is a community space that dissuades responses to conflict and harm that privilege the carceral” (221A, 2023). If 221A’s philosophy includes the avoidance of conflict and harm that give preference to punitive or carceral methods, then I would argue that having a fence goes against the manifesto. Having a fenced-off “public” space with specific guidelines for space-usage is a form of policing. Given their other manifesto point of being “…caring, and responsible of others.”, perhaps there wouldn’t need to be a fence with rules. In all terms and conditions, having accessible digital infrastructure is important and this space fulfills this purpose, but the philosophy behind their action is thin.STOLON MESH 2023AnalysisEvaluat ionPRECEDENT STUDIESFig 8. 271 Union St.Fig 9. Promotional Still. Charlie Shackleton, 2015.16 17 With everyday tasks being dependent on internet connections such as payments, banking, registrations, and access to information, it is a surprise that internet is not a basic infrastructure provided by the government. The Stolon Mesh is an example of local-based agency with the premise of community owned internet. If neighbours could govern their internet connection, then ideas of community land ownership and other movements of local intervention seems more doable. Vancouver has many restrictions and bylaws governing development, yet the Stolon Mesh seems to be creating community strength and resilience more effectively and efficiently then city-level programming since the bureaucratic process is removed and the intervention is at the community-level of agreement. Based on Stolon Mesh’s new social system, I would need to design a framework to enhance system resiliency against the economic dominion and a toolkit to challenge current design restraints such as colonial-based regulation that encourages gentrification and development that favors the economical privileged. The graduate project would need to have a program that benefits anyone who wishes to replicate this work. Paint Drying is a film made by Charlie Shackleton (Charlie Lyne until 2019) an independent creator who directed, produced, and shot the film (Fig 9.). The film’s duration is 607 minutes (10.12 hours), and Shackleton’s goal was to force the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to watch all of it. The production of the film was a critique on the BBFC’s power on film censorship, expensive fees that prevent independent filmmakers from getting approved, and ambiguous guidelines for their rating system (Ohlheiser, 2016). Currently, the BBFC submission fee is 101.50 GBP per film plus 7.09 GBP per minute of the film’s length. He states that his intent was to draw attention to the flaws of the system, in which those flaws would hinder artists (Ohlheiser, 2016). He mentions that prior to Paint Drying, the rating process of his first film “Beyond Clueless” costed half of his distribution budget, and he knows of others who abandoned their productions due to this reason. The film and the overall project intent received support from filmmakers from Australia and India, showing an international interest in the scope of the protest. As a contradictory statement, the BBFC claimed that filmmakers can show their films in the UK without a BBFC certificate as long as there is permission from local authority for the given area (Ohlheiser, 2016). In the nuisance of the words, in the UK it is currently illegal to distribute a film without a BBFC certificate (Lyne, 2015). If the filmmaker wants to distribute the movie on a DVD, then it would need to be resubmitted to be rated again as “ratings are issued according to their intended use at the point of submission.” (Lyne, 2015). The redundancy of processes in regulating the of film and art industry can often prove detriment to the industry it is trying to manage. In this precedent, the system can be identified as the UK film industry, the inputs being films and filmmakers, and the cinemas and regulators as system processes. Lyne has clearly identified a system process that impairs the industry it is trying to regulate (Fig 10.). By having high fees and lack of self-governing on film distribution, independent filmmakers are restricted and disincentivize local film making. Although his protest made little to no change in BBFC’s review process, it did spark a conversation about the agency of local filmmaking. This protest showed how this system process can act as a bottleneck; forcing an agency to sit down for 10 hours can be quite tiresome and energy intensive, but filming paint dry would prove to be easier as you could simply walk away and let the camera run. Since the limiting factor is cost, Lyne’s film could not be too long, as if 10 hours is not long enough. In order to have a lasting impact, the optimal conditions are that multiple people submitted their film that was at least over 100 hours long since the BBFC had no time restriction, nor regulations that could excuse them to abstain from watching anything they did not want. Their potential dismissal of any film would be subject to criticism and incite a conversation about the agency of film and art, and whether the government could have total precedent over an artform.Takeway PAINT DRYING 2016AnalysisEvaluat ionFig 10. BBFC certification granted for the film Paint Drying. Charlie Shackleton, 2016.Fig 11. Construction of Folly Forest. Straub Thurmayr, 2022.Fig 12. CAD drawing of the asphalt cuts. Straub Thurmayr, 2022. Fig 13. Framing of the asphalt cuts. Straub Thurmayr, 2022.18 19 For my graduate project and its program, I will need to carefully identify political/economic system processes that interfere with landscape processes, and identify any sensitive thresholds in those processes that could easily be overwhelmed. Similar to Paint Drying, I anticipate my project encompassing a landscape entity in which its implementation would show the weakness of the political economic process that governs the given landscape. While there was nothing inherently chaotic about Paint Drying, adding a chaotic element to a system process would potentially create system fluctuations and even temporarily shut down BBFC. There were even reports of their website crashing down after news broke of the incident (Ohlheiser, 2016). Folly Forest is a planting installation, designed by a landscape architect duo Dietmar Straub and Anna Thurmayr, for Strathcona School in Winnipeg (Fig 11.). The school is located in the city’s most impoverished neighborhood; the project was working on limited funds about $20 per square meter and spent around $80,000 (landrum, 2016; Green, 2023). The design began in 2011 and the design installation began in 2013 (Landzine, 2022). Upon trying to find landscape designs along the lines that include the word “radical”, Folly Forest made an appearance in my search options. The designers’ goal was to “induce multi-layered transformations that would ultimately culminate in a stimulating outdoor environment for children and a vital public open space for the neighbourhood” (Landzine, 2022). There is nothing inherently chaotic about the design goals, however their design language could be seen as evocative. It was argued that due to the culture of consumption and development, their design was a radical paradigm shift of design that was minimal, but yet effective (Barth, 2020). This precedent proves that only minimal intervention can have lasting impacts, and could be an affordable option for those who can not afford design services. Their design is a juxtaposition to modern design language. The lines that are cut into the ground do not follow any reasoning, all materials used were recycled, and all of the asphalt cut out were repurposed onsite. (Fig 12. & 13.) The design’s ecological goal was to break up the concrete ground and to the perforate the hardscape in order to allow water and organisms to move between layers. Their intervention was direct and non-complicated.TakeawayFOLLY FOREST 2022AnalysisEvaluat ionFig 14. Installation of Folly Forest. Straub Thurmayr, 2022.Fig 15. Chaos criteria diagram20 21 The Folly Forest would fall on the spectrum leaning closer to the utilitarian side, but still grasping aspects of the rustic aesthetic. Their intentions were clear and they effectively established their design minimally (Fig 14). In order for designers and common folk to benefit from my graduate projects, the interventions need to be minimal and cost effective all while producing massive change. The concept of minimal change that leads to large outcomes treads similarly to the chaotic principle of systems being sensitive to initial parameters and conditions. Since it has won many awards, this design also shows that aesthetic is not always necessary to succeed, but the execution of the design and the actions that precedes the installation should complement the design concept. The 3 precedents provide examples of how the graduate project may evolve. Stolon Mesh is an example of community-led initiatives that create local-based agency in their neighborhood. Following their manifesto, the graduate project’s deliverables and outcomes, a design framework or toolkit, needs to be accessible, understandable, and benefiting to the collective space. It should not break any laws or regulations, but simply work on its own accord. Drawing from the film Paint Drying, the project needs to identify a system process that hinders the system from evolving and developing, and to shock the system. As the BBFC was identified to deter independent film makers from distributing films, this would negatively affect UK’s local filmmaking industry. Similarly, to Vancouver, a system actor that is currently struggling is local biodiversity and flora and fauna’s resistance to climate change. In that regard, the system process could be identified as the slow-moving bureaucratic response from the many levels of government that is acting on climate change. The Folly Forest demonstrates that an effective landscape design can be extremely minimal and cost effect, all while maximizing outcomes and benefits. I would imagine the graduate project following a similar trajectory to that of chaotic principle where a minimal intervention is all that is required to enforce change.The graduate project would still need to fulfill the chaos criteria (Fig 15.):1. Non-linear behavior – design for dynamic factors such as flora and fauna2. Sensitivity – design for a changing landscape when the world seeks order.3. Minimum of 3 variables (interventions) – a trait of complex adaptive systemsTakeaway PRECEDENTS CONCLUSION22 23 Based on the argument that chaos is a state of a system that can occur in any dynamic system, then the guiding principles should apply to all systems that affect the Anthropocene: economic, social, and environmental systems. The chosen site for the intervention will be a location that addresses all of the listed three systems. “Consciously or unconsciously we seek order out of chaos. We tend tolook for patterns which seem to make sense in the knowledge that wehave about our world, as well as being aesthetically satisfying in therelationship of each part to the whole.”- Simon Bell “Landscape - Pattern, Perception, Process” 2nd ed. (2012) To create chaos in the economic system, the chosen site to intervene will be a location that is heavily tied to the economic paradigm with variables that include capital, income, and other monetary assets. Possessory politics, the politics of possession and its value, is not a simple claim of property rights or a manifestation of other rights, but based on the realm of personhood (Porter, 2014). Roy (2018) states that the relationship between property and personhood lies within the conversation of urban displacement. It appears that the concerns of possession are a crucial idea in possessory politics. As property value increases, but the supply of land is stagnant or falling, a demand of property increases as people try to place their economic worth into their homes. Currently, the economic-centric paradigm in our society forces people to value each other by their possessions and its value. One of the sites I would like to intervene with chaos is public property since Canadians still maintain the idea of using private property as a vehicle for wealth and value during a housing crisis (Randall, 2023). By intervening public property, the goal is to cause chaos to the point where private property value and the intrinsic nature of real estate is contested. To address the social system, the site will also encompass the urban realm known as a Third Space: a space not belonging to an individual, but to a community (Boseman, 2019). In North America, libraries are considered one of the last public spaces that cater to greater communities (Fish, 2023). Although plazas and parks exist, libraries are one of the few sheltered Third Spaces. Most architectural locations require patronage such as coffee shops, restaurants, or invade our field of view with solicitations of monetary pleasures such as malls and shopping districts. When urban areas are filled with monetary goals, space for conversation and community becomes scarce. Outdoor plazas in Vancouver are often void of adequate environmental shelter especially as the city is known for high precipitation and a gaining momentum of heat waves (Schmunk, 2023). The city’s emphasis on the carceral and lack of priority towards public safety will also add tensions to those who use public spaces as a safe haven including those dealing with substance-use addiction and homeless (Aganaba, 2023). One additional intervention would be placed in a Third Space location with the goal of providing a space for those with needs, protection against the carceral, all while theatrically showcasing the conflict between the community and the governing in a public square. As climate change worsens, the city must quickly act. In a densely populated city, bureaucratic processes may take longer as there is more complex standards of procedure to consider such as by-laws and new amendments. The extent of the city’s bureaucratic processes become more complex as the city tries to conserve its economic integrity and maintaining capitalistic goals such as maintaining city budget, avoiding land depreciation, and appeasing donors and potential inventors (Kellner, 2009). Jenkins (2023) also shares examples of when the wilderness has benefited from bureaucracy, but juxtaposes his claims by acknowledging that the government has the same bureaucratic authority to undo and good deeds done upon the land depending on what the economic goals are. What agency to communities and individuals have in their land if their space is constantly regulated? How do we know if the governors are governing in the people’s best interest? The third intervention will be that of ecological value in which anyone can partake in. This intervention would introduce dynamics into the environment that enhances biodiversity and strengthen ecological resilience, all while causing economical and bureaucratic distress as a form of community resilience. Economic LandscapeSocial LandscapeEcological LandscapeSITE MATTERSFig 16. The site chosen is Oppenheimer Park in Vancouver ‘s Downtown Eastside. This site is where the economic, social, and ecological realms interconnect.Fig 18. System-based questions regarding Oppenheimer Park.24 25 Based on the economic, social, and ecological intervention goals, the program will be conducted in Oppenheimer Park (Fig 16.). Oppenheimer Park is one of the oldest parks in Vancouver, dating back to 1889 as Powell Street Grounds, then being renamed by the mayor at the time, David Oppenheimer. Since the beginning, the park has witnessed a mass immigration of Asian settlers, the great depression, countless protest and celebrations, police brutality, the crack and cocaine epidemic, and its history is still on-going. It is known for being a core park in Vancouver’s history (Azizi, 2019). If we were to compare the major events of the park, it can be shown that there are trends to the economical, social, and ecological history (Fig 17.). The rich history of the park is what gives its community an immense amount of resiliency and sense of belonging. Due to its current contested-state, the history may seem to distort the perspective of the park now. However, the issues that occurred over a hundred years ago, are issues that are still pressing today. The park has experienced economical changes from the lack of social and physical infrastructure the Downtown Eastside has received. Shops adjacent to the park are closing down and/or are currently struggling to stay open as they defend themselves from the lack of business due to the contested nature of the site. Socially, the park has been a space for gathering such as protest, festivals, and now it is a place of refuge due to the degradation of the Downtown Eastside (Azizi, 2019). Ecologically, the firm Space2Place whom redesigned the space in 2010, claimed it was sustainable due to the soils being reused on site and materials having good longevity (Space2Place, 2023). On their portfolio, there was no mention of how this space was benefiting the ecological space. On the economical, social, and ecological scale, there is great opportunity to provide intervention to address the contested nature of the site. Now it is being renewed by the city of Vancouver with a completion date by summer 2024 (City of Vancouver, 2023). The leading Landscape Architect is Hanako Amaya, a senior landscape architect for the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. The site raises a few questions: “how does the economy seep through the landscape?”, “how do we value our land?”, and “what are the capitalistic indicators in our landscape?” (Fig 18.) Part of the inspiration for choosing Oppenheimer Park is my personal relationship with the Downtown Eastside. As a teenager, my highschool provided many opportunities for us to volunteer in the area, and as a tradition my family and I serve at the soup kitchen named “the door is open” every Christmas. Through my ongoing weekly volunteer sessions since December, along with my observation and conversation with guests and other volunteers, I understood that Oppenheimer Park is not only a contentious site, but a significant place of refuge, safety, and ongoing community engagement (Fig 19. & Fig 20.).“How does the economy seep through the landscape?”“How do we value our land?” “What are the capitalistic indicators in our landscape?”Chaotic LandscapeA Personal LandscapeCreation of “Powell Street Grounds” Renamed “Oppenheimer Park” After Vancouver Mayer David OppenheimerAnti-Asian Riots in Chinatown and JapantownCreation of Vancouver’s Asahi Tigers Baseball TeamFree Speech protest"On To Ottawa Trek" protest to demand better wages and working condition in work campsMay Day Protest: Conservative Party of Canada banned in Federal GovernmentOppenheimer Park declared the only park where political, religious and other views were permitted to be publicly voiced“Bloody Sunday” protest against RCMP’s police brutalityCentennial Anniversary for Canada's first known Japanese immigrantCrack and Cocaine Epidemic30ft Totem pole carved for DTES residents whom passed Oppenehimer Park renovation by Space2Place & McFarlane BiggarFirst Nations Protest regarding Homeless evictionMinisterial Order to evacuate and evict encampmentOppenheimer park reopened Renewal construction beginsExpected opening Oppenheimer park playground renewal announced1889 1902 1907 19141912 1932 1935 1936 1938 1980 1997 2010 2014 2020 2021 2022 2024 202419771929 2008 2018 2019 2020 20242021 20222009CRA’s Canada Emergency Response Benefit repayment beginsBC’s non-essential buisness opensCRA’s Canada Emergency Buisness Account repayment deadlineCanada’s Pandemic ShutdownTogetherBC to reduce poverty by 25% by 2024The Global Financial Crisis “ends”The Global Financial Crisis BeginsThe Great Depression beginsBC introduces Speculation Tax & Vacancy TaxCoV Homeless Count‘23‘20‘19‘18‘15‘13‘12‘11‘10‘08‘05‘022,2232,1811,8471,6001,6021,5811,7151,5761,2916282,4202,095‘23‘20 ‘21 ‘22‘19‘18‘17‘16‘15‘14‘13‘12‘11‘10‘9‘8‘75686 64.6 4.612.57 811 11 11 11 11 115.42006 20232009 20212021Annual Max Air Quality Health IndexBC’s largest wildfire seasonAtmospheric river and floodVancouver’s longest drought (45 days) Western North American Heat DomeVancouver’s hottest heatwave (34.4 C)Vancouver’s hottest heatwave (34.4 C)Fig 17. System’s timeline of Oppenheimer Park26 27OPPENHEIMER PARKFig 19. Site photos of Oppenheimer Park and of the Door is Open.Fig 20. Site materiality and landscape dynamics28 29BURRARD INLETPORT OF VANCOUVERLORD STRATHCONA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL&STRATHCONA COMMUNITY CENTRECLINICSISTER’S TENTDTES NEIGHOURHOOD HOUSEVANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARYOPPENHEIMER FIELD HOUSEJAPANESE HALLEVELYNE SALLER CENTRESTRATHCONAMONTESSORI PRESCHOOLSHELTERSPERMANENT DRINKING WATER STATIONRESTRICTED WASHROOMSBRIAR PARTCH COMMUNITY GARDENV6A COMMUNITY GARDENOPPENHEIMER PARKCRAB PARKHEALING GARDENCARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRETEMPORARY DRINKING WATER STATIONUNRESTRICTED WASHROOMSPROVINCIAL COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIAVANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENTCCTVPARKING METERSPOLICE & DUMPTRUCK CONVOYFig 21. Isometric plan view of Oppenheimer Park and the site context.30 31 The park is centered in the industrial context of Strathcona. Here we can see the layers of the different systems acting on the landscape surrounding the park (Fig 21.).SITE ANALYSISBURRARD INLETPORT OF VANCOUVERLORD STRATHCONA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL&STRATHCONA COMMUNITY CENTRECLINICSISTER’S TENTDTES NEIGHOURHOOD HOUSEVANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARYOPPENHEIMER FIELD HOUSEJAPANESE HALLEVELYNE SALLER CENTRESTRATHCONAMONTESSORI PRESCHOOLSHELTERSPERMANENT DRINKING WATER STATIONRESTRICTED WASHROOMSBRIAR PARTCH COMMUNITY GARDENV6A COMMUNITY GARDENOPPENHEIMER PARKCRAB PARKHEALING GARDENCARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRETEMPORARY DRINKING WATER STATIONUNRESTRICTED WASHROOMSPROVINCIAL COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIAVANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENTCCTVPARKING METERSPOLICE & DUMPTRUCK CONVOY32 33 Where ever you go, you are watched. Law enforcement vehicles line the streets, the police are walking the beat, and CCTVs give you the heat. Something new I have not seen before was dumptruck convoys, escorted by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), where city trucks sweep the streets of tents and cardboard shelters. This happens almost every week. While an encampment cleanup was occurring, I noticed additional Vancouver Park Ranger Vehicles arriving to aid the clean up crew. Assuming it were additional Park Rangers, I saw officers of the VPD exiting the vehicles. This experience demonstrated that law enforcement is vertically integrated into the city’s management, and I would conclude that city material assets would be interchangeable with that of the VPD’s material assets. Most of the parking space require payment. Of the spaces that are free, there are restrictions and time limits thus reducing the ability to use vehicles in a car-dominated society.Red Isometric - Economic LandscapeBURRARD INLETPORT OF VANCOUVERLORD STRATHCONA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL&STRATHCONA COMMUNITY CENTRECLINICSISTER’S TENTDTES NEIGHOURHOOD HOUSEVANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARYOPPENHEIMER FIELD HOUSEJAPANESE HALLEVELYNE SALLER CENTRESTRATHCONAMONTESSORI PRESCHOOLSHELTERSPERMANENT DRINKING WATER STATIONRESTRICTED WASHROOMSBRIAR PARTCH COMMUNITY GARDENV6A COMMUNITY GARDENOPPENHEIMER PARKCRAB PARKHEALING GARDENCARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRETEMPORARY DRINKING WATER STATIONUNRESTRICTED WASHROOMSPROVINCIAL COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIAVANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENTCCTVPARKING METERSPOLICE & DUMPTRUCK CONVOY34 35 Although located in an industrial site, many buildings on the block are either Low-Income or Single Resident Occupancy housing, while only several are shelters. Shelters are always full, and support programs such as clinics, housing offices, community centers, and other resource centers are often used extensively leading to long lineups, sometimes exposed to the harsh weather. Drinkable water and washrooms are challenged. There are only 3 permanent drinking water stations, the rest are seasonal which are mostly open during the summer due to the pipes not being insulated for the winter. Even when water fountains are available, they are not maintained and are often filled with garbage and other biological matter. There are only 3 fully accessible washrooms in the area, the rest are unaccessible at night. This leads to a sanitary issue in the near Oppenheimer Park and the rest of the Downtown Eastside.Blue Isometric - Social LandscapeBURRARD INLETPORT OF VANCOUVERLORD STRATHCONA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL&STRATHCONA COMMUNITY CENTRECLINICSISTER’S TENTDTES NEIGHOURHOOD HOUSEVANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARYOPPENHEIMER FIELD HOUSEJAPANESE HALLEVELYNE SALLER CENTRESTRATHCONAMONTESSORI PRESCHOOLSHELTERSPERMANENT DRINKING WATER STATIONRESTRICTED WASHROOMSBRIAR PARTCH COMMUNITY GARDENV6A COMMUNITY GARDENOPPENHEIMER PARKCRAB PARKHEALING GARDENCARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRETEMPORARY DRINKING WATER STATIONUNRESTRICTED WASHROOMSPROVINCIAL COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIAVANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENTCCTVPARKING METERSPOLICE & DUMPTRUCK CONVOY36 37 Oppenheimer Park is centered between Crab park to the Northwest, Andy Livingstone park to the Southwest, and McLean Park SouthEast just outside the scale. There exist a few community gardens managed by non-profits, but are currently locked, perhaps only available to some but not all. Street trees lining the roads and walkways add diversity to the site, however they are struggling to thrive in the industrial context of the surrounding pollutants. Green Isometric - Ecological LandscapeFig 23. Social system collage.Fig 22. Economic system collage. 38 39 Figure 22: Although surveillance is a hallmark of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and watched with bias and prejudice. Old Shops and stores shut down, and trendy new businesses move in with the intention to rehabilitate the area for newcomers. There is always money to be made. Figure 23: Downtown is a Pay to Play location, no solicitation! Walkable by feet, but forget about waiting for non-congested transit or finding free parking. Services often include a cost, but apathy seems to be free.SITE REVIEWFig 25. Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation’s Oppenheimer Park playground renewal project overview, concept design, and playground elements.Fig 26. Habitat Systems’ Victoria Courthouse Playground.Fig 24. Ecological system collage. 40 41Currently Oppenheimer Park has received a playground renewal to further expand into the park (Fig 25.). This seems like an excuse for the city to vacate the homeless encampment for good, without reason to address the socio-economic conditions that maintain it. A similar landscape renewal was done in Victoria and it seems that nothing has changed since the homeless encampment returned (Fig 26.). The census data for Strathcona does not show a need for a larger playground, nor would people feel safe bringing their kids post construction. How can Oppenheimer Park serve those who need safety and space. Figure 24: Of the green spaces that exist, the park presents itself unmaintained and littered with scars of its industrial past. Although highly polluted and highly foot trafficked, greenery still remains, but nothing new grows.SITE FUTURES42 43Social inequality, monetary inequity, and climate change are emergent properties of the economic system: growth and control. (Gunder et al., 2018). Natural resources are being extracted without being replenished, while using expendable labour. It does not help that landscape architecture perpetuates these conflicts. Although striving for social and environmental agency, architecture and landscape architecture projects are primarily dictated by economic-centric values: low cost & low bid (Porter, 2014). In a society that is governed by paychecks, not everyone can secure the project.Landscapes are not able to change to society’s needs, thus require to be re-developed (kellner, 2009). As society evolves, we expect the landscape to evolve with us. Constant renewals for development are not sustainable (Luqman et al., 2023). As projects get greenwashed, the act of building sustainably contradicts the nature of sustainability: lowering consumption. We construct our environment to last for decades, with state-of-the-art materials, made with non renewable energy, yet our needs and wants seem to waver, and designs of the last decade becomes unusable. This comes at a cost to the ecology, and further disrupts the environment as we extract and consume more material.“How can land-based design alleviate economic control?”“Where is the agency of landscape architecture in complexity?”In order to alleviate symptoms of social inequality, monetary inequity, and climate change, I want to introduce Chaos Theory as a new design framework. The goal is to allow for dynamics to evolve through time, and to challenge the current economic-centric paradigm and the field of landscape architecture including other design professions.Central to my project is chaos theory as a catalyst for change in an environment of order and control.“Landscapes are pr iceless , but are d ictated by value.”“Landscapes are dynamic , but bui l t to be stat ic .”GUIDING QUESTIONSCONCEPT ISSUE CONCEPT STATEMENTChaos CatalogueFig 28. An unkept gate near the railroads of Strathcona. Fig 27. Zine illustrations. Shown for pages 43 - 83.44 45 The design interventions will take form as an instructional zine booklet (Fig 27). Knowledge from higher education often becomes paywalled or otherwise inaccessible. Even with the internet, there requires a skill or a knowledge set to know whether the information is useful or valid. The goal of the zine is to provide agency to residents and to equip them with knowledge to enact change in their own environment. Creating a zine also gives designers and aspiring landscape architects agency to offer toolkits and knowledge that would be otherwise gatekept (Fig 28.).“The streets are a stage and a setting too important to serve only one function, so they must acquire multiple uses over time.”- Jaime Lerner “Urban Acupuncture” (2014)INTERVENTIONPROGRAM2 3- SEED STREW- GUERRILLA GERMINATION- GUERRILLA GARRET- GUERILLA GENERATION- WATER WORKS- HEAT HARDWARE- ACKNOWLEDGMENT - PURPOSE- CAMERA COATING- PARKING PACIFIER- CARCERAL CLOG This Zine was made on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Although written in the borders set by colonial parameters, the Zine is not limited within the borders set by colonial parameters, but to all that come across it. The author identifies themselves as a BIPOC settler and understands that although this Zine was made in an environment of safety and freedom, their hope is to offer their knowledge gained to all that are requiring advantage in their circumstances. Examples in this Zine are for learning and education, and illustrations are not direct representations, but examples of tangible reality. Information described is relative to the time of distribution, and is encouraged to be improved upon.1. INTRODUCTIONS2. POSITIVE DEVIANCE3. NEGATIVE DEVIANCEREFERENCESTABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENT46 474 5 The system you find yourself in is most likely a system of order and growth: capitalism. The force of the global economy is driving climate change, yet it is still argued that economy can also fix it (Hagens, 2020). It is also shown that capitalism is also a driver of social inequity and monetary inequality (Kellner, 2009). Amongst the evidence, it is still argued that access to economic opportunity outweighs its impact on increase income inequality (Soysa et al., 2023). Now, the question is “who monitors and controls the economic system?” It is a historical fact that design instruments and masterplanning in urban planning is used as a toolkit to maintain societal order (Gunder et al, 2018). Look around the landscape. Aspects of your environment are controlled by extensions of authority: the place you reside is dictated by by-laws, the place you work is governed by budgets, and third spaces have their own guidelines on how you “should” behave. Public spaces often have regulations regarding the act of congregation (loitering and size limits) and activities permitted (protest, events, and celebrations). This aspect of order and control is also tied with economic injustice in the aspect of possessory politics, where value is determined not by possession, but lack of possession (Porter, 2014). Those that “have” govern those “without”. The theory of order and control can be opposed by chaos theory. Chaos is an idea, an action, and a consequence, neither being of good or bad. In Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory, chaos is a characteristic of a system. Processes found in chaotic systems are feedbacks, connectivity between actors, and self-organization. The economic system does not fair well with chaos as its goals are controlled growth and wealth.This Zine is created with these aspects in mind by providing interventions that undermine the aspect of the economic system, and promotes agency in cultivating the landscape around you and your community. Rather than investing in the economy, this Zine will demonstrate how to invest in your landscape inspired by Chaos Theory.PURPOSE48 496 7 Aspects of life such as the environment, societal behaviors, and economic patterns that fall outside of the baseline expectations or normative perspectives are known as deviances. In CAS, “positive” denounces the perpetuation of a process in a system, thus a Positive Deviance (PD) describes a behavior of an actor that violates normative standards and allows the actor to support and surpass system processes. Examples of PD are novel adaptations in environments, overcomformity to social standards (benefiting your community beyond whats required), and innovation. Often times these process outputs have serendipitous results that support other processes, fostering positive feedbacks in a system. If an environment is in good ecological health, then the people that reside in such environment will most likely be in good physical and mental health. Therefore the people that form a community would be otherwise be supportive of their environment. Phyto - the term that describes living entities of the biological kingdom: Plantae; Remediation - to lessen harm by fixing and repairing; phytoremediation is the concept of remediation by plants (Kennen & Kirkwood, 2017). Due to its serendipitous nature of benefiting other system’s process such as biodiversity, ecological resiliency to disturbances, and supporting ecosystem services, it can be seen as a PD strategy. Majority of the PD interventions will relay back to phytoremediation or support it indirectly. PHYTOREMEDIATION:WHAT IS IT?POSITIVE DEVIANCE (PD)50 518 9* Not Intended to be a complete list, but a representative list of grass that have phytoremediation properties. Due to their aggressive properties, they should be sown in an urban setting.* Not Intended to be a complete list, but a representative list of herbaceous perennials that have phytoremediation properties. Sow in an urban settings only.Natural ClayIn addition to the plant’s phytoremediative properties, the plants below are known to have a high success in propagation via seeds and asexual reproduction. In common terms, they will spread!SLINGSHOT for long distance dispersalSoil SeedsTo disperse seeds that phytoremediate the soil by degrading organic contaminants such as petroleum, solvents, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds; for folks who want to heal their space.Avena sativa - OatBouteloua dactyloides - Buffalo GrassBouteloua gracilis - Blue GramaCynodon dactylon - Bermuda GrassElymus canadensis - Canada Wild RyeFestuca arundinacea - Tall FescueJuncus effusus - Common RushChamaenerion angustifolium - FireweedIris spp. - IrisTrifolium repens - White CloverTrifolium pratense - Red CloverTrifolium hybridum - Alsike CloverLinum usitatissimum - FlaxSolidago spp. - GoldenrodLupinus spp - LupineGOAL : MATERIALS:GRASS SEED PALETTEWHY THESE SEEDS?PERENNIAL SEED PALETTEOPTIONALSEED STREW52 5310 11Press clay into palm and form a disc.Add a pinch of soil and a pinch of seeds.Roll together in a ball, and clasp it between your palms.Final results.Air Tight : Tupperware | Plastic Bag | Container with Lid | Mason jarCold & dark locations (<4 °C) : Fridge | Garage | Cellars | BasementLawns | Bare Soil | Boulevards | Parks | Abandoned Landscapes | A Neighbour’s yard February | March | April --- September | October | November + A period of rainy days!Hand throw | Toss | Slingshot | Lacrosse Stick ASSEMBLYSTORAGETIMING LOCATIONDEPLOYMENTSEED STREW CONT.54 5512 13* Not Intended to be a complete list, but a representative list of woody plants, found in the City of Vancouver, that root well from cuttings. PH - Phytoremediation. SCISSORSSOIL“Apply to cutting for greater rooting success; can be found at hardware / garden stores.” ROOTING HORMONEWATER CONTAINERPLANT CONTAINERYOUNGBRANCH“ 2. No person shall cut, break, injure, remove or in any way destroy or damage any rock, soil, tree, shrub, plant, turf or flower, or any building, structure, fence, sign, seat, bench or ornament ofany kind...” - General Regulations - Vancouver Board of Parks and RecreationVegetation that is planted in parks and public green spaces areherein protected by the Vancouver Park Board. Removal ofvegetation often takes time due to the notice of a formal complaint,administrative processing time, and scheduling workers to addressit. If it is not urgent, processing time may adhere to prioritysequence.To increase the diversity of vegetation in greenspaces by using plant cuttings of trees and shrubs that root well and grow quickly; for folks who want to care for their greenspace.Alnus rubra - Red Alder (PH)Betula spp. - Birch (PH)Salix spp. - Willow (PH)Populus spp. - Poplar (PH)Rosa spp. - RoseHydrangea spp. - HydrangeaGOALS: MATERIALS:OPTIONALBY-LAWS:PLANT SELECTIONGUERRILLA GERMINATION56 5714 15*Optional: add rooting hormone at the area of cut*Optional: add rooting hormone at the area of cutLocated one of the trees/shrubs and cleanly prune off a young stem with fresh leaves.Immediately place the cutting in a container of waterImmediately place the cutting in a container of moist soilWater weekly. Roots should start to grow in a few monthsReplace the water weekly.Roots should start to grow in a few months.When roots have formed, plant in the soil and water frequently for the first month.STEPSGUERRILLA GERMINATION CONT.58 5916 17* Not Intended to be a complete list, but a representative list of young woody plants that are flexible and grow fast, found in the City of Vancouver. PL - Pleaching, W - Woven, PH - Phytoremediation, . Alnus rubra - Red Alder (W)(PH)Fagus grandifolia, sylvatica - Beech (PL)(PH) Carpinus spp. - Hornbeam (PL)Cornus alba, sericea - Dogwood shrub (W) Corylus cornuta, or spp. - Hazelnut (W)(PH)Hydrangea petiolaris - Climbing Hydrangea (W)Salix spp. - Willow (W)(PH)Populus spp. - Poplar (PL)(PH)“11. No person shall erect, construct or build or cause to be erected, constructed or built in or on any park any tent, building, shelter, pavilion or other construction whatsoever without the permission of the General Manager...” - General Regulations - Vancouver Board of Parks and RecreationTo create a hut/shelter out of existing vegetation as temporary refuge; for folks who want to create space.1. Plant your cuttings or any shrubs in a pattern of your choice. Options include a fence, hut perimeter, or a screen2. As the shrubs grow taller, weave their own branches into each other. You can also help form the weave using natural fibre rope, or existing twigs and branches. Prune and trim to your discretion.3. When they reach an optimal height or size for your need, continue your needed trimming and pruning to maintain the shape you want it. Add additional shrubs, rope, or branches to emphasize and strengthen the vegetation if needed. During the winter, a tarp could be added on top as a cover.Using existing vegetation does not conform to the Vancouver Park Board’s definition of erecting, constructing, and building. Folks can argue that the intervention conforms to the by-law as no abiotic material has been added and no vegetation has been removed from site. This can be done by pleaching or weaving woody material.BY-LAWS:PLANT SELECTIONGOALS: GUERRILLA GARRET60 6118 1920 cm20 cm0 cm0 cm30 cm15 cm* Not Intended to be a complete list, but a representative list of trees with deep tap roots found in the City of Vancouver, PH - Phytoremediation. To create immediate temporary landforms and to make a hassle to disassemble by authorities, for folks who want to create space.“11. No person shall erect, construct or build or cause to be erected, constructed or built in or on any park any tent, building, shelter, pavilion or other construction whatsoever without the permission of the General Manager...” - General Regulations - Vancouver Board of Parks and RecreationBy using cinderblocks, folks can create agency in any space. Although not allowed by the Vancouver Park Board, they won’t address it without a formal complaint, in which the city will have great difficulty removing if they chose to intervene.GravelSoilHalf Cinderblock Full 20cm CinderblockAcer rubrum - Red Maple Acer platanoides - Norway Maple (PH)Amelanchier canadensis - Serviceberry Carpinus betulus - European HornbeamCercis spp. - RedbudFraxinus spp. - Ash (PH) Tilia spp. - Linden | Basswood | Lime (PH)Pinus contora - Shore Pine | Lodgepole PinePseudotsuga menziesii - Douglas-firQuercus robur, rubra - Oak Salix sp. - Willow (PH)GOALS: BY-LAWS:MATERIALS:PLANT SELECTIONGUERRILLA GENERATION62 6320 211. Stack alternating cinderblocks, aligning the holes on top of each other.Add an equal mixture of gravel and soil, filling the cavities.Insert your selected vegetation into the holes, plant gently.Maintain soil moisture by watering. Allow time for roots to anchor the cinderblocks.Planter Seating ShelterCONSTRUCTION SECTIONFORM TYPOLOGIESGUERRILLA GENERATION CONT.64 6522 231. Stand behind the hydrant and remove the caps using a wrench. Turn the nut CLOCKWISE.3. Allow water to run for a few seconds to clear old or rusty water.Turn CLOCKWISE to shut off the valve once finished.4. Once the water is turned off, you can add an a hose adapter for general use.2. To turn on the valve, use the wrench to turn the valve nut COUNTER-CLOCKWISE. Once you feel a tough spot, it indicates that water will soon flow - keep turning. Stand away from the opening.Valve NutCap NutTo provide information about accessing water from fire hydrants in a safe manner, for folks that are in need of water urgently.“3.6 A customer or other must not: (c) use water from a fire hydrant”“3.10 No person shall tamper with the... hydrant or any other part of the City’s waterworks system...” - Water Works By-Law No. 4848 - City of VancouverAs droughts and heatwaves become more prominent and water availability in the city becomes sparse, access for water in emergency settings will become very likely.Dry Hydrant SectionPenta NutPIPE WRENCHHYDRANT WRENCHSQUARE WRENCH12-POINT WRENCH - 1inWet Hydrant Stand Pipe2-1/2” NST (NH) Female x 3/4” GHT Male Brass Fire Hydrant Adapter GOALS: BY-LAWS:HYDRANT IDENTIFICATIONPOTENTIAL TOOLSTO LET THE WATER FLOW SAFELYWATER WORKS66 6724 2510 cm 18 cmLARGESMALL5. Drill Holes on the Rim of the 2nd large pot.1. Fill base of large pot with gravel.2. Place small pot inside large pot, on top of gravel.3. Fill small pot with charcoal.6. Ignite, place lid on top.4. Fill sides of large pot with gravel.To create warmth in a time of cold, for folks that find themselves outdoors during cold and sub-zero temperatures. Terracotta PotsGravelLighter FluidCharcoal“11B. A temporary shelter: (g) must not contain any campfire, lighted candles, propane lanterns or stoves, or other similar devices”- General Regulations - Vancouver Board of Parks and RecreationThis device is neither any of the define words listed above. The term “similar” remains broad and open-ended.x2GOALS: BY-LAWS:MATERIALSASSEMBLYHEATING HARDWARE68 6926 27 In the context of CAS, Negative Deviance (ND) refers to behaviors and phenomena that diverge from normative standards and undermine system processes, stability, or resilience. ND manifests when actors or components within a system exhibit actions, processes, or characteristics that have negating effects on the acting system. Unlike positive deviance, which fosters adaptation and improvement, negative deviance disrupts, degrades, or counteracts the system dynamics. While viewing the whole context, processes in the economic system can be perceived as forms of negative deviance. Many of the financial crisis was caused by highly-leveraged risk, to which the perpetrators were protected by government agencies and the common folk were left to support themselves (Schettino et al., 2022). The economic fuel that powers the machine of capitalism is dependent on exponential extraction of natural resources, leading to the degradation of the global ecosystem (Wright et al., 2015). If the economic system is having a negative effect on the social and ecological systems, PD interventions would be a solution to enhance system process of the social and ecological system. However an alternative option is to implement ND interventions to reduce its harmful impact on the other systems. As systems work against you and your community, it is just as important to provide and introduce your own set of processes that oppose it. The nature of CAS is that all dynamic systems are subject to changes, and a system’s resistance is an indicator of its adaptation to change and resiliency to catastrophe.ACTS OF RESISTANCEWHAT IS IT?NEGATIVE DEVIANCE (ND)70 7128 29- Discreet, difficult to identify- Small lense for short distance.- Weatherproof- Low light capabilities.- Most conventional CCTV- Large lense for long distances- Pant, Tilt, Zoom, capabilities- Dynamic tracking capabilities.[ ] Glitter, <1mm ⌀ [ ] Dye *darker the better*[ ] Natural Wood Oil[ ] Car Oil[ ] Oil-based Paint[ ] Wood Stainer & Varathane[ ] Cooking Oil[ ] High Conc. Salt water[ ] Vinegar[ ] Diluted Honey with Water[ ] Spray Bottle[ ] Water BalloonTo reduce the eyes of systemic authority, for folks who need more privacy.DOME CAMERA OUTDOOR CAMERABULLET CAMERAOBSCURING OPTICS INTERVENING INFRARED MARINATING MATERIALS DELIVERY DROP-OFFPTZ CAMERA...the public must be notified of the existence, and possible operation, of video monitoring equipment. Clearly written signs must be prominently displayed at the entrances, on the exterior walls, and/or perimeter of the video monitoring areas... Covert monitoring may only be authorized [...] and the need outweighs the privacy interest of the individuals to be observed.- ADMIN-016P2 Procedure for CCTV Monitoring of City PremisesGOALS: BY-LAWS:COCKTAIL CHECKLISTTYPOLOGIESCAMERA COATING72 7330 31Range: < 3m | < 10ft Function: Spray or JetCapacity: 1 litre | 32 ouncesOpportunities: Spray & Jet FunctionConstraints: Less accurate with greater distanceRange: < 10m | < 32ft Function: Spray or JetCapacity: 40 - 100 mm | 1.5 - 4 inchesOpportunities: Greater splash area and rangeConstraints: Less discreet, requires good aimSHORT DISTANCE DELIVERY LONG DISTANCE DELIVERYCAMERA COATING CONT.74 75DAY - DAYEXCEPT WITH PERMIT DAY - DAY DAY - DAY32 33DISASSEMBLY DIAGRAMTo provide parking access, for folks who experience parking insecurity in a car-dominated society.[ ] Wrench: 14mm | 9/16 inch, or adjustable[ ] LadderA by-law enforcement officer may issue a ticket if your car violates the Parking By-Law depending on the parking signage; they also take photo evidence of the infraction. One could argue that if no sign or parking restriction is present, then the enforcement officer won’t have a reference of any violations so long as it abides by the Street and Traffic By-law 2849: 3-hour limit next to properties where you don’t live or work, blocking access to hydrants and properties, stopping on boulevards and medians, and blocking streets and accessibility enforced.“15.3.1 Every person who commits an offence against this By-law is liable to a fine of not more than $10,000 and not less than $250 for each offence except for failing to comply with any order.”- Section 15 - Parking By-law 6059 - City of VancouverGOALS: BY-LAWS:MATERIALSPARKING SIGN TYPOLOGYPARKING PACIFIER76 7734 35Section DrawingSection DrawingIsometric DrawingIsometric DrawingRequired: [ ]SOIL [ ] FOODWASTE [ ] PEBBLESOptional: [ ] COMPOST [ ] SEEDS [ ] ROOTED CUTTINGSTiming: During drought season when no one expects the stormdrains to be in-use.Maintenance: The process of adding the mixtures is not time sensitive.* Flour and Starch are great natural binders, however consider using it from foodwaste rather than fresh and unused. Although abundant here, food is a scarce resource elsewhere.** Cement production has a high carbon footprint and a large contributer to climate change. Use sparingly and consider eco-friendly alternatives to cement.Required: [ ] ROCKS [ ] SAND [ ] PEBBLESChoose 1: [ ] CLAY [ ]FLOUR/STARCH* [ ] CEMENT/QUICKCRETE**PRECAST CONCRETE CATCHBASINTWIN INLET CATCHBASINTo clog stormdrains and catch basins near areas of authority to impede on their surrounding, and to foster stormwater infiltration from flooding; for folks who want to create resistance.The Sewer and Watercourse By-Law No. 8093 does not state the course of action if the stormdrain is compromised, nor whom is responsible for damages if occurred on public property. As flooding occurs, the water will rise and will infiltrate into adjacent softscape areas. Flooding at sites of authority will congest their roadways, and street repairs will add to the congestion.Mixture B: Additions, Accessories, AttachmentsAdditional Notes:Mixture A: Solids, Solidifiiers, StabilizersGOALS: BY-LAWS:CONGESTION CHECKLISTTYPOLOGIESCARCERAL CLOG78 7936 371. Add mixture (A) down the drain discreetly.2. Hydrate enough to moisten the mixture3. After mixture (A) has settled, add mixture (B) down the drain on top of (A).4. Inspect the drain to ensure it is filled. Add any of the optional mixtures if needed. ABTWIN INLET CATCHBASINTWIN INLET CATCHBASINABDIRECTIONSRESULTCARCERAL CLOG CONT.80 8138 39City of Vancouver. (2023). Procedure of CCTV Monitoring of City Premises. Corporate Policy Procedure.Council of the City of Vancouver. (2023). Parking By-law No. 6059. City of Vancouver British Columbia.Council of the City of Vancouver. (2023). Water Works By-Law No. 4848. City of Vancouver British ColumbiaGunder, M., Mandanipour, A., Watson, V. (2018). The Routledge Handbook of Planning Theory. Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781315696072.Hagens, N. J. (2020). Economics for the future – Beyond the Superorganism. Ecological economics 169(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.106520.Kennen, K., & Kirkwood, N. (2017). Phyto: Principles and resources for site remediation and landscape design. Routledge.Keller, M. (2009). Against Capitalism and Bureaucracy, Ernest Mandel’s Theoretical Contributions. Historical Materialism Book Series 279.Porter, L. (2014). Possessory politics and the conceit of procedure: Exposing the cost of rights under conditions of dispossession. Planning Theory 13(4): 387 – 406. DOI: 10.1177/1473095214524569.Schettino, F., & Clementi, F. (2022). Crisis, inequalities and poverty. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004514430Soysa, I. de, & Vadlamannati, K. C. (2021). Free market capitalism and societal inequities: Assessing the effects of economic freedom on income inequality and the equity of access to opportunity, 1990–2017. International Political Science Review, 44(4), 471–491. https://doi.org/10.1177/01925121211039985Vancouver Board of parks and Recreation. (2023). Park By-Laws. Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.Wright, C., & Nyberg, D. (2015). Climate change and corporate capitalism. Climate Change, Capitalism, and Corporations, 1. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139939676.002______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________REFERENCESNOTES:82 83Fig 29. Plan view of the zine being used as interventions at Oppenheimer Park. Set in summer.84 85 Since there are a total of nine interventions in the zine, I chose to focus on those that display positive deviance including one negative deviance (Parking Pacifier). Most, if not all, of the interventions is done best with a helping hand. Working together and creating space for oneself is crucial for building a resilient community and adaptive system (Fig 29.). A common critique to anarchy is that there is no structure and an inherent liability within a system. A response would be that a true dynamic system would allow actors to self-organize. Residents at Oppenheimer would be able to look after one another and would remove the need of technological surveillance as there exist community surveillance (Fig 30. & Fig 31.).INTERVENING OPPENHEIMER PARKFig 30. Section A: Cultivating Community. The theme revolves community and how residents self-organize together using the zine interventions.Fig 31. Section B: Domain for Dignity. The theme shows residents’ agency towards Oppenheimer Park and how they take upon themselves to care for each other and the land. 86 87Fig 32. Plan view of the zine being used as interventions at Oppenheimer Park. Set in winter.88 89 In winter, the need for community is dire as resources become a necessity not only to survive, but to remain in good health. Rain and cold weather would bring upon sickness, and sub freezing temperatures will lead residents to hypothermia. Most of the drinking fountains will have been disabled due to the plumbing infrastructure not being insulated. Shelters become filled as the outdoors are no longer suitable for living.With the same interventions, residents can create shelter and stay warm. Since Oppenheimer Park is located closer to support centers, residents can also park their cars closer (Fig 32.). Residents become more involved in their community as everyone is doing their part to support themselves and each other (Fig 33. & Fig 34.).Fig 33. Section A: Cultivating Community. The theme revolves community and how residents take initiative to aid each other in dire times.Fig 34. Section B: Domain for Dignity. The theme shows residents’ agency towards Oppenheimer Park and how they take care for each other, using the landscape to their benefit.90 91Fig 35. The Lorenz Attractor from a two dimensional perspective.Fig 36. The Lorenz Attractor visualized in a three dimensional format, then rendered by an artist.92 93 As much as landscape architecture prides itself for its unique position of collaboration with other disciplines, there is opportunity to expand beyond academic professional knowledge such as biology, ecology, geography, politics, and engineering. In this chapter, a strange attractor is developed representing the system of Downtown Eastside. As an experiment parameters are adjusted to test how the system would behave in an economic-centric system versus a welfare-centric system and eco-centric system.How did it happen?How did it come to this?Taking me over- Animal Kingdom “Strange Attractor” (2012) Strange attractors describe behaviors of dynamic systems. They are created by quantifying the relationships between the variables (system actors) and the system parameters (current or beginning state; its environment). The variables and parameters are then modeled based on a basis of time. This produces a graph that can either be two dimensional if the behavior is oscillation, or three dimensional or higher if the system is highly dynamic. Matrices are often used if the system becomes too complex for three dimensions. A well-know strange attractor is the Lorenz Attractor, modeled by Edward Lorenz, to simulate the behavior of a specific weather pattern (Fig 35.). Prior to discovery, Lorenz was unable to recreate weather predictions even with fixed parameters in his study due to the random feedback the variables that interacted with each other. This lead to a system-based model to visualize how a system behaves through time, creating a pattern but never displaying the same properties twice. The shape of the pattern resembles a butterfly to which the famous Butterfly Effect came about: a small change in the environment leading to a major change (Fig 36.).Theoretically, any system can be modeled; the limiting factor would be time and effort. To justify the chaos framework, a Downtown Eastside Attractor was developed with the help of Riley Stewart, from the Department of Physics and Astronomy (PHAS) at the University of British Columbia, to visualize how the interventions would affect Oppenheimer Park. Differential equations were hypothesized to represent the interactions between actors at the economical, social, and ecological scale (Fig 37.). Then the equations were integrated using the Euler method on python. In each iteration of the loop, it computes the rate of change of each state variable based on the current values of the variables and the differential equations, and then updates the variables using a small time step. The parameters were skewed to create three different scenarios: A system weighted towards the economy (capitalistic priorities), the society (welfare), and the ecology (biodiversity and ecosystem services). STRANGE ATTRACTORSCHAOS FRAMEWORKFig 37. A complex adaptive system diagram of Oppenheimer Park. This is not meant to be completely accurate, but a representation of reality.Fig 38. The DTES Attractor with parameters weighted towards the economic factors.94 95In Figure 38, the DTES Attractor with economically-weighted parameters takes along shape. When choosing a comparable number of steps of iterations for the experiment, 3 million was selected. One reason being due to limited computing power, however when additional steps greater than 3 million was inputed, this version of the system is the first to degrade (Attractor Disintegration). This means that as time moves forward the system that is dependent on economical values will eventually disintegrate and will no longer demonstrate a pattern, only entropy. This is a resemblance to the current socio-economic situation globally, where we are witnessing monetary injustice where the gap between the wealthy and the poverty is increasing, and climate change is threating the ecosystem services that maintain our ecological processes and resources. In addition, the economic system includes a process that creates an infinite input: money printing. With a system of infinite growth, it is inevitable that an attractor becomes temporary until disintegrated.THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE ATTRACTORFig 39. The DTES Attractor with parameters weighted towards the social factors.Fig 40. The DTES Attractor with parameters weighted towards the ecological factors.96 97 When the parameters are weighted towards factors that support the social system (welfare), the system pattern becomes tighter and shows less variance (Fig 39.). This would be an optimal situation as societies and communities would not fair well with drastic changes such as financial downturns, war, and political turmoil. A system that has a stronger attractor would also most likely be resilient to catastrophe since the system’s behavior would be more consistent. Similarly, when the parameters are weighted towards ecological factors (biodiversity and ecosystem services), the attractor resembles that of the socially-weighted system, but tighter (Fig 40). One interesting aspect is that the ecological systems also contains a process that drives an infinite input: solar radiation. One would theorize that when a system receives an infinite input, the system attractor would disintegrate. When compared to economics, ecological systems have the ability to self-organize to prevent infinite growth. All living things eventually die, trophic energies taper off due to predation and loss of energy during the transfer between trophic levels, and other evolutionary processes. Economist would believe that the capital market self-organizes due to the argument of supply and demand, however the consistent printing of money and the hyperaccumulation of debt is a non-material process and highly subjected to corruption and mismanagement. Often times, landscape architects, design professionals, and other people in positions of power do not think of their repercussions until after development. Using a chaos framework would be a beneficial methodology to practice as designers to think of their design consequences. Of course, we have good intentions to design and create a better world, however the nuisance of complexity will create complications when it is too late. Since we design in a dynamic landscape, it is important to understand the behaviors of our landscape and how actors surrounding it will involve themselves.98 99 The goal of introducing Chaos Theory as a design framework is not to impose chaos for chaos’s sake, but rather to replicate natural system dynamic and its transformative potential in service of positive change. By embracing chaos, we can create environments that are dynamic, resilient, and inclusive. We can challenge the prevailing economic-centric paradigm that perpetuates inequality and exploitation, and instead, strive towards more equitable and sustainable futures. This project recognizes that landscapes are not static entities but rather dynamic systems that evolve over time. Yet, the current condition of landscape architecture, overwhelmed by monetary goals and budgets, is fixated by order and control and incentivised by profits and politics. By incorporating Chaos Theory into the design process, we can create environments that are responsive to change, adaptable to shifting social and environmental dynamics, and supportive of diverse social communities and ecosystems. By developing a zine encompassing land-based interventions, users can invoke change and create agency in their landscape. The dynamic interventions, combined with dynamic actors, will perpetuate system complexity as the landscape evolves through time, thus fulfilling the chaos criteria for the framework. The Downtown Eastside Attractors also support the basis of design decision by visualizing system dynamic. The parameters that are biased towards social and ecological factors perpetuate a system that creates a strange attractor, highlighting sustainable processes involved. This is compared to the current economic-centric system where the The Downtown Eastside Attractor displays a larger variation of system characteristics, which eventually disintegrates as time progresses. It is extremely ironic how we spend a great effort in site analysis, a construct of the past, then proceed to design for the future, a predictive pretense of what could be. As explained by Edward Lorenz and other academics of chaos theory, it is not entirely possible to predict the future to due to the infinite possibilities of interactions between actors of a system. Although we can not foresee how our society evolves and how our needs and wants may change, using the chaos framework to create dynamic interventions will allow the landscape to maneuver beyond its static hold. Even if dynamics are excluded from the design interventions, results and consequence-based analysis would be highly beneficial to landscape architecture and other design professions since the world is highly nuianced and complex. This is not to discredit current design practices such as conceptual ideation, research and analysis, and design formation, but to be used in addition as a supplemental methodology to enhance design interventions. Embracing the complexities of our natural and built environment, Chaos Design offers a transformative framework for positive change ahead.”“We can’t control systems or figure them out. But we can dance with them!”- Donella H. Meadows “Thinking in Systems” (2009).CONCLUSION FIGURESCover Page: Kwok, J. (2024). Chaos Design - Designing change, with change. Fig 1. Kwok, J. (2024). Systems Diagram.Fig 2. Wolfram, S. (2022). A new Kind of Science. Wolfram Media. ISBN: 1-57955-008-8.Fig 3. Muller, D. (2020). This equation will change how you see the world (the logistic map). Veritasium. Retrieved from: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ovJcsL7vyrk/maxresdefault.jpg.Fig 4. Li, H., Qi, Q., Du, W., and Li, X. 2022. A criterion of rockburst in coal mines considering the influence of working face mining. Geomechanics and Geophysics for Geo-Energy and Geo-Resources 8(37). DOI: 10.1007/s40948-021-00338-2.Fig 5. Westman, L., Patterson, J., Macrorie, R., Orr, C. J., Ashcraft, C. M., Castán Broto, V., Dolan, D., Gupta, M., van der Heijden, J., Hickmann, T., Hobbins, R., Papin, M., Robin, E., Rosan, C., Torrens, J., & Webb, R. (2022). Compound urban crises. Ambio 51(6), 1402–1415. DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01697-6.Fig 6. Lee, N. Stolon Mesh. Retrieved from: https://www.stolonmesh.ca/Fig 7. @221aweee & @c_l_battle. Instagram Post. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/CzHNkHqvJO6/Fig 8. Kwok, J. (2024). Entrance Photo.Fig 9. Shackleton, C. (2016). Paint Drying Promotional Still. Retrived from: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/charlielyne/make-the-censors-watch-paint-dryingFig 10. Shackleton, C. (2016). BBFC certification. Retrieved from: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZvubuXWYAElLw-z?format=jpg&name=smallFig 11. Straub Thurmayr. (2022). Construction of Folly Forest. Retrieved from: https://landezine-award.com/fol-ly-forest/Fig 12. Straub Thurmayr. (2022). CAD Drawing. Retrieved from: https://landezine-award.com/wp-content/up-loads/2022/05/2_Frames.jpgFig 13. Straub Thurmayr. (2022). Framing of Asphalt Cuts. Retrieved from: https://landezine-award.com/wp-con-tent/uploads/2022/05/4_Framing.jpgFig 14. Straub Thurmayr. (2022). Installation of Folly Forest. Retrieved from: https://landezine-award.com/wp-con-tent/uploads/2022/05/28_After.jpg100 101Fig 15. Kwok, J. (2024). Chaos Criteria. Fig 16. Kwok, J. (2024). Site Context.Fig 17. Kwok, J. (2024). Systems Timeline Collage. Fig 18. Kwok, J. (2024). Systems Question.Fig 19. Kwok, J. (2024). Site Photos.Fig 20. Kwok, J. (2024). Site Materiality and Landscape Dynamics.Fig 21. Kwok, J. (2024). Isometric Site Plan - System Analysis.Fig 22. Kwok, J. (2024). Economic System Collage.Fig 23. Kwok, J. (2024). Social System Collage.Fig 24. Kwok, J. (2024). Ecological System Collage.Fig 25. Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. Oppenheimer Park Playground Renewal. Retrieved from: https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/oppenheimer-park-playground-concept.pdfFig 26. Habitat Systems. Victoria Courthouse Playground. Retrieved from: https://www.habitat-systems.com/proj-ect/victoria-courthouse-playground/Fig 27. Kwok, J. (2024). Zine Illustrations.Fig 28. Kwok, J. (2024). Strathcona Railyard. Fig 29. Kwok, J. (2024). Plan Illustration (Summer), 1:200.Fig 30. Kwok, J. (2024). Section A (Summer): Cultivating Community, 1:200.Fig 31. Kwok, J. (2024). Section B (Summer): Domain for Dignity, 1:200.Fig 32. Kwok, J. (2024). Plan Illustration (Winter), 1:200.Fig 33. Kwok, J. (2024). 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Graduating Project
Vancouver (B.C.)
eng
Unreviewed
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Graduate
University of British Columbia. LARC 598
Chaos Theory
Landscape Architecture
Complex Adaptive Systems
Capitalism
Ecology
Oppenheimer Park
Chaos Design : Designing for Change, with Change
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