MethodKit for Cities

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MethodKit Stories

7 min readMay 5, 2016

Defining the building blocks of cities to better discuss them together.

An article by Ola Möller (Founder of MethodKit) & Jordan Lane (Architect MSA), co-authors of MethodKit for Cities.

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We defined the essential building blocks of cities and transformed them into a deck of cards. Use them to create a framework for workshops, as conversation starters or a checklist when thinking about cities. Read on to find out how and why we did it.

Read more about MethodKit for Cities at MethodKit.com.

From recipes to ingredients.

Introducing method & metaphor.

Defining the building blocks of a city is somewhat like eating a slice of cake, and then trying to work out the ingredients and recipe. Some ingredients are easy to define — the cherries on top that everyone can see — others are near impossible to identify — which exact flour was used and how much? Where did the eggs come from?

Just as laying out all the ingredients on a table is not the same things as baking a cake, defining the building blocks of a city, is not the same thing as creating the cities we want to live in. This takes time, patience and an understanding of how and when to mix the right ingredients.

What’s your flavour?

Defining the building blocks of where you live.

What are the building blocks of your city? What makes it your city? Which lenses do you look through? Is it infrastructure and transport systems? Or the social scene? Is it being able to borrow a cup of sugar from the neighbours, the 16 minute commute to work or finding a great school for your six year old? As cities (and the people in them) are constantly changing, there are no “answers” to these questions — just goalposts that are constantly being moved, demanding that we ask better questions.

Which brings us to our next challenge — how do we talk to each other about cities in a way that everyone is heard and understood?

Let’s talk about cities, together.

The need for an interface.

There are so many things to consider when talking about cities that it can easily become overwhelming. There are also so many ways to talk about cities that dialogues can quickly become nonsense to many. Everyone experiences the city in their own way — but only some are seen and heard.

As democratic planning processes become more common, city halls fill (or half fill) with the “usual suspects” eager to have their voices heard. This is a positive start, but we can do much better. As everybody’s favourite urbanist famously said;

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”
― Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities

So how do we ensure everyone can shape the city they live in without falling through the cracks of one-sided citizen dialogues and professional jargon? How do we ensure an architect, planner, mother, tourist, politician, butcher, baker and candlestick maker can meet, speak the same ‘language’ and build upon each other’s knowledge, ideas and experiences?

There is a need for tools that are deliberately simple to use. Tools that require no previous knowledge or experience which can easily create a common interface for people to reach each other.

While developing MethodKit for Cities, we created 9 criteria to ensure we stayed on track:

A visual & physical tool. Easy to grasp graphics quickly communicate the ideas/needs.
Discussion & debate are more important than the tool. Catalyse conversation to provide structure and overview. Give crucial information so ideas remain the focus.
As little information as possible. Cards are not books! Provide a quick overview, not a 500 page instruction manual.
Description without direction. Create space for ideas to develop. Do not push them in a certain direction.
Straightforward language. Get rid of the crap, not the complexity. Decode the language so everyone understands!
Sweet-spot between structure & creativity. Structure helps. Too much structure hinders, no structure leaves you lost.
Vision & outcome are more important than the tool. Make the kit like scaffolding. Useful under construction, but not the end goal.
Cover essential needs. All killer. No filler.
No right or wrong. Endless ways to use the kit. You decide for yourself. (We can give some hints too!)

The Kit

Introducing MethodKit for Cities

We wanted to create a tool that helps you explore the complex nature of cities and develop an understanding of not just how cities are built, but also how they behave. While some urban planning tools may impose certain solutions or be designed for a certain user group, our idea is to readjust the balance between professionalisation and participation by creating a tool as useful to the professional as it is to the new citizen.

Some examples of the urban DNA mapped on cards.

Why physical cards?

Cards provide a framework for people to build workshops, conversations and ideas around. They are deliberately simple and easy to use. We have found this allows for greater conversation. We don’t want people to drown in information, but rather use the cards to spark conversation and ideas. At the end of the day, it is the ideas that matter, not the tools used to create them.

Typical workshop with MethodKit, working, writing and discussing together.

How to use the kit in workshops.

Working with pieces to build a whole — together.

Designed to be used at all scales from grand projects to small interventions, MethodKit for Cities offers a visual overview of the most important elements, actions and aspects that make up the fabric of a city. Use it to create a common language in citizen dialogues, to explore new areas with project partners or just to think deeper about the cities we live in.

Different examples how we see that the kit could be used:

As a tool in architecture & urban design offices. Use the kit in the studio environment to align colleagues, consultants and clients. Use it to create future visions and scenarios or as a research tool and checklist. How do new developments fit into the existing urban fabric? What are your priorities? Did you forget any important perspectives?
As a tool for schools & universities. Use the kit as a checklist for school projects — what elements are strongest? Are there any parts of missing? Encourage students to embrace complexity and design in real world contexts. Encourage conversation and debate by having students prioritise the cards — why are some building blocks more important than others? How does this change with time?
As an educational tool for citizens. Many citizens have a profound interest about the city. Use the tool to help people understand the fabric of the city, with different perspectives and lenses. Knowledge is power.
As a planning tool between architects, the city and its citizens. Use the tool as an interface. We made a tool that have a easy to understand language without dumbing down the underlying concepts of the city. We want people to sit at the table, take part, and feel comfortable in understanding and sharing ideas.
As tool for data collection. Use the tool should be used for data collection. Can you give each card a value to create an inventory of local areas? You could ask citizens, friends, neighbours what they value in their local area.

Wrapping it up.

MethodKit for Cities defines the building blocks of cities. Like scaffolding around a building, the cards are there to help you build YOUR vision, not tell you how to do it. The city you want to live in is best described and achieved by you, but at least you have a list of possible ingredients now.

The box is as large as a pocket book, which makes it easy to store in book cases

More about the kit

Sorting cards & expansions.

MethodKit for Cities is the largest kit of the 23 kits we have made to date. With 105+7 cards, it is twice the size of a standard MethodKit. This is a result of the complexity and diversity of cities. In order to handle the complex nature of cities, seven “sorting cards” are included.

Sorting cards

These cards help you handle the complexity of cities by allowing you to filter through the kit using your own criteria. We understand discussing 105 topics in depth is rarely possible or productive in a single session. Sorting cards allow you to address all cards, make decisions about them and focus on those which are relevant right now.

Expansions.

Building on building blocks.

Although we have included 105+7 cards in MethodKit for Cities, there are many parts of the city which demand further investigation — zooming in to a higher level of detail. One of the first areas we zoomed into was gender equality in urban planning. Working alongside Belatchew Arkitekter and Add Gender we developed an expansion (30 cards) together called MethodKit for Equal Places.

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MethodKit for Cities can be acquired at MethodKit.com, where you can also print your own lite version of the kit.

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