Arcueil City - Vulnerabilities Study: How to uncover and address the vulnerabilities of a city while improving the quality of life for its residents? [2024]

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My role
As a Service designer and UX researcher: I led multidisciplinary team including mental health experts (psychologist, psychiatrist), leaders in public health and humanitarian work (NGO director, regional health agency director, coordination support director), an educator (philosophy teacher), and a coach.
We explored Arcueil's vulnerabilities through the lens of care ethics and the Verstohlen charter (Cynthia Fleury and Antoine Fenoglio), employing design methodologies to craft thoughtful interventions aimed at nurturing a caring ecosystem for both residents and care workers in the city.

(Unexpected) Challenges

Balancing furtive interventions with institutional visibility
Integrating diverse stakeholder perspectives within limited timeframes
Reconciling short-term urban needs with long-term philosophical aspirations
We addressed these challenges by focusing on key institutional actors, employing rapid ethnographic techniques and philosophical inquiry to synthesize diverse viewpoints and create ethical urban interventions.

The Team and a sensitive map extract from our field survey: C. LUXEREAU (Psychiatrist) | M. VEILLEROBE (Professional Coach, Co-founder of Monalisa Coaching) | I. PESCHET (Chief of Staff to the Director General of ARS Paca) | F. MARTINIS (Philosophy Teacher) | S. GOXE-DESSEAUVE (Psychologist, Psychotherapist) | T. ALLAFORT-DUVERGER (Former Director General of Médecins Sans Frontières) | N. BIDE (myself, Designer) | D. DIF THIERY (Director of DAC36)

Jobs done:

Conducted in-depth interviews with municipal leaders and community organizers
Created sensory maps to capture the city's unique characteristics and ethical dilemmas
Imagined workshops to explore the concept of "time" in urban planning
Developed a "Proof of Care" framework based on the Verstohlen charter principles to evaluate proposed interventions
Designed experimental initiatives to foster community engagement and well-being and ethical reflection

Residents'interviews at La Mine (third place in Arcueil)

Design thinking's workshops

Problem-solving and synthesis: how to combine Care Design with Philosophy to inspire new ethical directions

Outcomes and results:

Identified 4 key ethical challenges in Arcueil's social and urban fabric
Proposed a series of 12 "Proof of Care" experiments, including:
- A city-wide podcast series highlighting local "care practitioners"
- An urban rappelling event to shift perspectives on city landmarks and vulnerabilities
Increased awareness of care ethics and the Verstohlen principles in urban development
Established a foundation for ongoing dialogue between diverse city stakeholders
Created a blueprint for a "Respublica of care" to guide future ethical city initiatives

Proof of Care 1: city-wide podcast series highlighting local "care practitioners"

Proof of Care 2: Urban rappelling to shift perspectives on city landmarks and vulnerabilities

This work was presented during a collective dissertation defense at CNAM Paris/CY, earning me a university diploma in design, philosophy, and ethics in care in 2024.

The full collaborative effort is accessible through this Miro board and this dissertation (in french).

Rooted in a spirit of companionship, this exploration of capacitary vulnerabilities is part of a broader initiative inspired by The Verstohlen charter and the Chair of Philosophy at the hospital created by Cynthia Fleury.
Other related projects, including this one, can be discovered on the Labo Furtif here.

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