Participants:
Dr. Hallie Eakin, ASU Dr. David Manual-Navarrete, ASU Lakshmi Charli-Joseph, UNAM Dr. J. Mario Siqueiros-Garcia, UNAM Rebecca Shelton, ASU Duration: 2016-present
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Transformations to SustainabilityThe Transformations to Sustainability Project is the first project conducted by the North American Hub, a collaboration between ASU, UNAM, and the STEPS Centre. The primary goal of the project is to facilitate social transformation through the instrument of “Transformation Labs” (T-Labs) in Xochimilco, Mexico City. As part of this project, the lab in Mexico City will be linked to a series of parallel T-Lab activities around the world (see STEPS Centre collaboration page).
Xochimilco, is a wetland within the Federal District of Mexico City. The wetland provides ecosystem services, including that of flood regulation, as well as has important cultural value as home to one of the most diverse and productive agricultural systems- the chinampas. During the 20th century, rapid urbanization of the city affected the water resources of, and livelihoods within, the wetlands. Yet, despite decades of public policy and international recognition regarding the issues in Xochimilco, there is still no effective strategy for addressing the urbanization of the wetland. The objectives of the Transformation Lab is 1) to create a space for open dialogue 2) to encourage novel collaborations that have the potential to create new solution pathways and 3) to develop a shared decision-platform (e.g., a boundary object) from which the community can make institutional innovations to address the process of urbanization in the chinampas and in the wetland as a whole. |