Abstract
Starting from a real urban transformation experience related to the need to give a new life to Leonardo da Vinci Square in Milan, the paper explores the “trading zones” activated in this case where the design action is characterized by the absence of any institutional framework or mandate. In relation to such a condition, the authors discuss the nature of the design process and analyse the relevance of low structured scenarios as frameworks for activating a quasi-coordination context towards a more sustainable transformation of the square. Two main concepts are analysed: low structured scenarios as drivers (or boundary objects) for the “trading zones” enabling planning mechanisms to be created in coherence with existing forces and resources; dynamics of coordination, intended as an emerging property of decision systems when they operate within trading zones.
-
The paper starts introducing the conceptual interplay between trading zones and the planning of urban, public spaces transformations.
-
In the second part it discusses the two concepts within their specific literature domain so creating the operational framework for the description of the Leonardo da Vinci Square experience. This is then described by mapping along the time line the system of boundary objects keeping in life the specific trading zone. Each step is also analysed considering the specific coordination and alignment occurred among resources and actors. In particular, each step has been conceived, and/or considered, as an experiment characterized by specific conditions of governance, leadership, formal elements that this article uses as descriptors of the coordination dynamics.
Finally some conclusions are discussed and some future research paths identified.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
“Città Studi” Sustainable Campus is an open and volunteer initiative lead by two Universities, linked to the wider international ustainable campus net. It focuses on the sustainability of both the campus and the surrounding neighbourhood; involves professors, researchers and students who develop innovation approaches in several disciplines.
The main principle written in the documents which has become a shared idea between institutions stated that: “Piazza Leonardo da Vinci rappresenta uno spazio di grande interesse sul quale investire per realizzare un luogo di incontro e di sperimentazione di forme di cooperazione tra Città e Università nell’ottica dell’aumento della qualità dello spazio pubblico, del benessere dei cittadini, residenti e non e della diffusione artistica e culturale, quali obiettivi comuni dell’amministrazione pubblica e del Politecnico di Milano”.
In particular we refer to the research ‘Smart Plan. Open innovation in urban discovery and planning for the Città Studi Sustainable Campus project: from master plan as alignment environment to urban digital footprint’ (https://smartplanpolimi.wordpress.com/), and the european project ‘Peripheria’ (www.peripheria.eu).
Zorn produce his work on improvisation in 1984. The name of the project is Cobra, it has never been published according to the author’s will, since Zorn believes in oral transmission. Nevertheless, several music composition has been recorded (see for instance Cobra live performance in Tel Aviv, in 2008, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3axwvjwUpNE) and a music CD booklet, containing printing of all the cue categories and rules, was published.
References
Aibar E, Bijker W (1997) Constructing a city: the cerda plan for the extension of Barcelona. Sci Technol Hum Values 22(1):3–30
Aldrich H, Herker D (1977) Boundary spanning roles and organizational structure. Acad Manage Rev 2(2):217–230
Amin A, Thrift N (2002) Cities: reimagining the urban. Polity Press, Cambridge
Balducci A, Mäntysalo R (eds) (2013) Urban planning as a trading zone. Springer Science+Business Media, Dordrecht
Ciborra CU (1996) The platform organization: recombining strategies, structures, and surprises. Organ. Sci. 7(2):103–118
Fischer G (2005) Distances and diversity: sources for social creativity. In: Proceedings of the 5th conference on Creativity and cognition. ACM, New York, 128–136
Galison P (1997) Image and logic: a material culture of microphysics. University of Chicago Press, Chicago
Galison P (1999) Trading zone: coordinating action and belief. In: Biagioli M (ed) The science studies reader. Routledge, New York, pp 137–160
Galison P (2010) Trading with the enemy. In: Gorman ME (ed) Trading zone and interactional expertise: creating new kinds of collaboration. MIT Press, Cambridge
Kellogg K, Orlikowski J, Yates JA (2006) Life in the trading zone. Organ. Sci. 17(1):22–44
Longo A, Moro A, Concilio G (2014) Disegnare a distanza ravvicinata: prove tecniche per un masterplan non convenzionale. In: AA. VV., Atti della XVII Conferenza Nazionale SIU. L’urbanistica italiana nel mondo, Milano 15–16 maggio 2014, Planum Publisher, Roma-Milano
Madanipour A (1999) Why are the design and development of public spaces significant for cities? Environ Plan B Plan Des 26(6):879–891
Mantysalo R, Balducci A, Kangasoja J (2011) Planning as agonistic communication in a trading zone: re-examining Lindblom’s partisan mutual adjustment. Plan Theory 10(3):257–272
Massey D (2005) For space. Sage, London
Milanovic F (2006) Travail d’articulation et organisations-frontières dans la recherché urbaine française. Soc Sci Inf 45(1):109–138
Moro A, Concilio G, Longo A (2014) Experimenting planners’ roles: the case of urban spaces transformation. In: Proceedings of EURAU 2014, Composite Cities, Istanbul-Turkey, 12–14 November 2014
Moro A (2008) Movimenti e processi di risignificazione dello spazio. Prove di descrizione e rappresentazione, in Balducci A., Fedeli V., Pasqui G. (a cura di), In movimento, Milano (IT), FrancoAngeli
Neff G, Stark DC (2003) Permanently beta: responsive organization in the internet era. In: Howard P, Jones S (eds) Society online: the internet in context. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, pp 173–188
Rindova VP, Kotha S (2001) Continuous “morphing:” competing through dynamic capabilities, form, and function. Acad Manage J 44(6):1263–1280
Star SL (1990) The structure of ill-structured solutions: boundary objects and heterogeneous distributed problem solving. In: Gasser L, Huhns MN (eds) Distributed artificial intelligence, vol 2. Morgan Kaufmann, San Mateo, pp 37–54
Star SL, Griesemer JR (1989) Institutional ecology, ‘translations’ and boundary objects: amateurs and professionals in Berkeley’s museum of vertebrate zoology, 1907–39. Soc Stud Sci 19(3):387–420
Wittel A, Lury C, Lash S (2002) Real and virtual connectivity: new media in London. In: Woolgar S (ed) Virtual society? Technology, cyperbole, reality. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 189–208
Worrall A (2010) Boundary object theory: concepts, propositions, and limitations. In: Working paper. Florida State University. http://www.adamworrall.org/portfolio/courses/lis6278/6278_paper3_boundary_object_theory_analysis.pdf. Accessed Oct 2015
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Concilio, G., Moro, A. Trading Zones and Public Spaces Transformations the Case of Piazza Leonardo in Milan. Group Decis Negot 26, 933–951 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10726-017-9529-7
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10726-017-9529-7