Collaboration and Co-Creation of Social Value: Government, Citizens, and Sustainable Cities

At recent G20 conferences, Japan and South Korea trumpeted their stimulus plans as Green New Deals, while China has earmarked $30 billion of its package for environmental programs.  In the United States, the Obama administration continues to emphasize its commitment to the environment, dedicating $80 billion of its $800 billion package to support green projects.

To maximize the benefits from these investments, local governments must successfully engage their citizens to influence their thinking and behaviors.  Indeed, it is no coincidence that the most significant innovations occur within distinct cities or communities, as local governments can more easily interact with citizens, soliciting their feedback on key initiatives and working with them to execute policy. 

The greenest communities share some common characteristics - energy-efficient buildings, renewable energy sources, widespread recycling, efficient and comprehensive mass transit, and substantive nature trails/green space.  But that's just the cost of being green!

At the end of the day what they excel at is actively involving their residents in implementing green initiatives--the same way as corporations like Whole Foods do (discussed in the previous post).  Two shining examples of innovative community initiatives are Curitiba and Malmö.

Curitiba, in Brazil, developed a holistic urban plan in the 1970s and 80s to preserve green space, establish a recycling program, and reinvent its public transportation system.  However, given Curitiba's limited resources, it relies heavily on its residents to execute its initiatives.

Watch Brazilian urban planning guru, Jaime Lerner explain his philosophy of how to make life better for people by making cities more livable.

• Curitiba's Cambio Verde program enables low-income citizens to exchange their metal and glass waste for fresh produce and bus tickets.  Due to this program and widespread recycling of all residents, the city has emerged as Brazil's number one recycler, reusing 70% of its waste.
• Curitiba used existing roadways to develop a rapid transit bus system that links all areas of the city.  Investments in a high-speed, high-capacity bus network increased ridership by 400% in over 20 years; now 60% of urban travel occurs by bus.  While citizens are more likely to own cars than other Brazilians, they use 25% less fuel per capita. Furthermore, 41 cities, ranging from Los Angeles to Bogotá to Seoul, are in the process of replicating Curitiba's transit system.
• The city's Technology Street showcases 24 different homes, each built to spotlight sustainable construction materials, such as bamboo, or homes operating with renewable energy.  The city encourages prospective homeowners to meet with the architects of these residents prior to starting any new construction.
• Mandates for dedicated green space have encouraged residents to independently plant more than 1.5 million trees on city streets.  A city-appointed shepherd and his flock of 30 sheep trim the grass in many of the nation's parks! 

Malmö, Sweden, an industrial city in which the economy crashed and burned in the 1990s, has reinvented itself as a pioneer in sustainable development as an Ekostaden, or eco-city.  Currently, Scandinavia receives more recognition than any other region for its sustainable living practices, with Sweden alone supporting more than 60 "eco-cities."   How have they done it?  A combination of bold politics, experimentation, and community empowerment.

Several key initiatives have enabled the city to achieve the following: 

• Widespread solicitation and implementation of citizens' unique ideas.  One resident developed a plan for a new storm water system that captures 70% of rain water in one area of the city.
• A community (Western Harbour) in which the government encouraged innovation from architects and planners to enable 100% renewable energy from the sun, wind, hydropower, and biofuels generated from organic waste
• A mandate for increased green space, resulting in one of the largest developments of botanical roof gardens in the world with which citizens can insulate their homes, plant their own herbs and vegetables, and reduce the city's carbon dioxide emissions   
• A transportation system dominated by cyclers and mass transit.  The city worked to make the cycling paths and bus network aesthetically pleasing to encourage shifts in citizen behavior.

Collaboration and Engagement are potent platforms for the co-creation of value, whether commercial or social.  In both the commercial and social arenas, companies and institutions are only just beginning to truly understand the power of WE.  Appropriately harnessing it and leveraging its power is still a few horizons away.

The old way of doing business is dead for business and marketing executives.  It is dying fast for those who run countries and communities as well.