The Firm Foundation Social Design Field Guide

Please consider supporting Solo Kota Kita’s Kickstarter campaign here!

Solo Kota Kita is a small non-profit based in Surakarta, Indonesia, and New York City. They work as a team on urban planning, design, and development projects that are both self-initiated and in support of NGO and international agency programs.

Solo Kota Kita has done great work around participatory planning, mapping and neighborhood advocacy in Surakarta. Their next project they’re developing is Firm Foundation, a field guide that explains the steps for running participatory workshops and urban design charrettes with local stakeholders – especially in areas where participation in urban design is new.

As they state on their Kickstarter campaign page:

In many places around the world, design tools must be made on-the-go and with found materials. Many times, urban residents generate highly creative and innovative solutions in workshops that take place with the simplest tools.

The field guide will explain how to organize participatory design workshops and offer strategies for creating design tools with the simplest of materials and resources. The team hopes the book will be helpful as a new resource as “participatory design spreads around the world.”

These skills are important for social designers across the globe—from cities in the developing world to boroughs in New York City.

Check out this video with more about the project:

Please consider supporting Solo Kota Kita’s Kickstarter campaign here!

For more information, check out the Solo Kota Kita and Firm Foundation sites.

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