Designing Systems Interventions: A Proposed Ecology of Interventions to Dismantle the Wicked Problem of Water Pollution in Pittsburgh.
By Team Autopoiesis: Kimberly Blacutt, Bea Maggipinto, Jocelyn Morningstar, Deeya Parikh, & Max Shim
This article documents our fifth and final assignment, “Designing for System Interventions” for the 2024 Transition Design Seminar taught by Terry Irwin and Gideon Kossoff at CMU. Our team has been tackling the wicked problem of water pollution in Pittsburgh for the duration of this class and we have seen how it connects to other wicked problems in Pittsburgh and beyond. In this article we describe our design proposal for an ecology of systems interventions that tackle water pollution in Pittsburgh as a comprehensive, synergistic set. Our design interventions are actionable and positioned within different scales/domains of everyday life; these interventions may also be understood as a series of actionable steps in our transition pathway towards our vision of the future: the Pittsburgh Hydrocommons which we have previously described.
Introduction
Throughout our previous studies surrounding the wicked problem of water pollution in Pittsburgh, we used STEEP categories to examine the issue of water pollution and understood that it is a complex systems problem. We later mapped relationships between many different stakeholders that both affect and are affected by the issue of water pollution, and understood that those dynamic relationships are important to illuminate when constructing visions of the future. Finally, we mapped the historical evolution of our problem where we were able to see how facets of our problem developed and ultimately manifested in the issues present today, such as lead contamination in Pittsburgh water lines, heavy metal and chemical contamination in waterways, and much more.
Tackling a systems problem calls for a varied set of interventions at different scales of everyday life. It is impossible to treat the problem of water pollution in Pittsburgh as a singular problem with a singular solution because of how complex it is. For this reason, we knew that a single solution would not be sufficient and that we would need to propose several solutions that worked in tandem as an ecology of interventions.
Our Working Process
In our previous article, we presented a vision of a future in which Pittsburgh is free from the current challenges posed by the wicked problem of water pollution. Our vision extends 50 years into the future and extends beyond Pittsburgh. Now our task is to further develop actionable design interventions that can help us transition into our desired future.
To start we scrutinized our vision of the Pittsburgh Hydrocommons, particularly, our transition pathway to understand the transition steps and figure out how those steps might translate into tangible and actionable design projects that stir positive changes in Pittsburgh and beyond. Then we mapped our project ideas onto a matrix that organized our interventions into social, economical, technological/infrastructural, economic, environmental and political categories (STEEP) and the different levels of everyday life.
We also wanted to check that our design interventions were symbiotically satisfying needs. We learned about Manfred Max-Neef’s Fundamental human needs and analyzed our proposed intervention based on the satisfiers it was addressing. This exercise helped us better understand what the impact of each design intervention would be.
Many of the design interventions we were proposing required government involvement — and we learned that there are many different forms of government intervention. Policy interventions can be made at various phases of a project and the role of the government in those interventions can be different depending on the project. For example, we were interested in policies where the government might be involved in leading education efforts about water pollution, its risks, and what people can do about it. We also were interested in the government as a funder for research grants that promote the discovery of new water purification tactics and ways of promoting ecosystem health.
These exercises helped us to develop and refine our proposed ecology of design interventions. Visualizing the interventions within this matrix and having considered need satisfiers and types of government interventions made it easier to propose a holistic and acupuncture ‘solution’ to the problem of water pollution in Pittsburgh.
Towards The Pittsburgh Hydrocommons: Our Ecology of Interventions
In the sections that follow we describe our proposed design interventions. They are grouped into STEEP categories but work in tandem as an ecology that serves to holistically tackle the problem in a systemic way.
Social interventions
We imagine the Pittsburgh community as one of the first to embrace the idea of the hydrocommons in their sets of values. This would mean more care towards water as an element of exchange between human and more-than-human bodies, setting up a new ethical system of respect and kinship between human and non-human communities. Doing our part in keeping waterways clean, ultimately means healthier living ecosystems, as well as humans, practicing acts of respect for other lives. This mindset starts from our societal values, but ultimately spreads in the way we act on different levels, influencing our choices at an individual level as well as on a wider political level.
The interventions we imagine for the betterment of water pollution in the city, start at the neighborhood level. Pittsburgh currently has few high-streets with primary services accessible only to those who can travel by car. In the context of the 15-minutes city, we propose to ensure a betterment of the city’s neighborhoods by giving them more independence, making sure individuals can access basic services such as healthcare, groceries and communal areas. A next step in this direction, regarding water is to give more agency to neighborhoods becoming more independent in the management of their water, allowing for a future infrastructural decentralization.
Another intervention at a city-level, could be to hijack cultural events. Establishing a “Three Rivers Art Festival” would create communal congregation hubs that present an opportunity for reflection on waterways stewardship. With workshops and communal activities that help citizens become more aware of the dynamics of water pollution in their city, citizens will be enabled for action, especially if this is done with their direct involvement in ways that avoid producing a sense of guilt or helplessness towards addressing the problem.
On a national level, inserting a curriculum about the hydrocommons in the primary educational system would be another important step. Teaching water management and hydrocommon values from a young age — both from a practical and scientific point of view as well as from a civic and environmental values perspective, would enable future generations to be not only more aware of the problem, but also equipped with a mindset of “what can be done”. The curriculum can be tailored to best suit students’ unique interests, and will encourage embodied experiences including field trips and in-situ research. Methods like Transition Design should be also included, to help the educational material to be more localized and flexible with the evolving issue of water pollution.
On a global scale, we already are on a positive pathway, where we see wild animals, such as whales and dolphins, being given personhood to be able to have legal rights in courtrooms [1] as well as bodies of water, such as rivers. [2] Human rights around water need to be explored further, too. To ensure these align with more current views of environmental justice, the Declaration of Human Rights necessarily needs to become inclusive of the more-than-human community, to ensure ecosystems’ protection and preservation. Ultimately human and more-than-human rights are strongly interlinked as human’s survival is dependent on ecosystem health. Being water the base for life, tackling the protection of water, waterways and oceans might be a good entry point for communities around the world to understand the importance of equally protecting human and non-human life.
Technological and Infrastructural Interventions
With the rapid change and development in technology, we imagine there to be a radical improvement in the water treatment and conservation efforts made by the city of Pittsburgh. This is reinforced by the interconnectedness propounded within levels from household to global, where members of each level feel a joint responsibility towards elevating Pittsburgh’s water quality. Beginning with the neighborhood level, we see the ‘Hydro-IoT Home’ plan coming into play, with each home being adequately equipped with mechanisms for precision treatment and filtration of water that enters and leaves their homes. Further, we see this filtration mechanism adept at targeting the toxins specific to their families, such as certain medications or chemicals used in the homes that are not otherwise tested for in a generalized treatment plant.
Going up to the city level, we now see Pittsburgh celebrate 30 years free from Lead Toxicity. The eradication of this toxic metal from the water systems has proved highly beneficial to all, especially to the cognitive development and proper functioning of the immune systems of growing children. Fear of heavy metal poisoning from water which was otherwise a ubiquitous fear amongst pregnant women has been eliminated.
At the level of the state, Pittsburgh has shed its reputation of being a polluting oil and fracking giant and now stands as an exemplar of green extraction methods. Having devised innovative strategies that have not only replaced harmful chemicals such as PFAs and their elimination into freshwater bodies, Pittsburgh has also designed systems that simultaneously repair surrounding natural environs as they carry out extraction processes.
Additionally, Pittsburgh’s engineers and scientists have been instrumental in pioneering new materials and technologies that improve the filtration and purification stages of desalination. These include the use of nano-filtration membranes which offer superior salt rejection rates and longevity compared to traditional membranes. Such innovations have not only improved the quality of the water produced but also extended the maintenance cycles for desalination plants. Used as a model for desalination at a planet level as well, this has allowed the costs of desalination come down substantially and has also significantly optimized the mechanism such that many of the drought-stricken lands across the globe are now being generously supplied with potable water.
Environmental Interventions
To start, we imagine an intervention that mobilizes people at the household level. Through the establishment of a “Clean Up Pittsburgh Waterways” act, policies and government jobs will be created that mobilize the local community and enable them to adopt new practices of water consumption and management that have the ultimate goal of getting heavy metals out of Pittsburgh waterways.
To target the neighborhood level, we propose a series of green infrastructure installations for existing streets and a policy for green infrastructure requirements for any new developments. Green infrastructure serves to treat stormwater runoff on site and uses plant material to both slow and purify it. Green infrastructure includes practices such as the installation of rain gardens, tree plantings, water detention basins, stream restorations and pervious pavement. This intervention aims to bolster and continue existing efforts to install green infrastructure throughout Pittsburgh.
At the level of the city, we propose an effort led by the City to revitalize and repurpose Pittsburgh’s industrial brownfield sites. The City could apply for government grants and hire design teams composed of designers, landscape architects, environmental engineers, horticulturalists, and others to safely generate new life and activities on those sites. A great precedent for this type of brownfield redevelopment that we seek to emulate is Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord in Germany. In the redevelopment of industrial brownfield sites in Pittsburgh, problematic abandoned mine drainage will be addressed and will no longer make its way into Pittsburgh’s aquatic ecosystems thereby greatly reducing the amount of water pollutants.
Another environmental intervention at the level of the city is the separation of existing and combined sewer overflow infrastructure. The replacement and/or construction of new stormwater infrastructure should also be mindful of construction materials and could be re-done in tandem with potable lead water lines that need to be replaced. This design of this intervention is more infrastructural, however its consequences will be best understood for their environmental and public health impacts as stormwater sewage will be kept separate from sanitary sewage and this will improve the health of local communities and ecosystems.
At the level of the state or region, we propose a set of environmental policies and fieldwork that improve the health and presence of the bivalve creatures that exist within the Allegheny aquatic ecosystem. The presence and health of bivalves in the ecosystem is important in filtering nutrients and minute organisms that exist in the water, and this intervention seeks to harness the power of nature’s aquatic cleaning crews, many of which are currently threatened or endangered.
Finally, at the level of the nation, we propose investments in bioacoustic technologies to better understand and support the health of aquatic ecosystems. Bioacoustic technologies are those that aid the study of animal sound through the collection of audio data such as small portable field recorders that can be installed in a wide range of environments. There have been incredible advancements in bioacoustic technology recently and there is potential for sensors, signals, and machine learning to help people better understand, monitor, and plan aid for the environment. Bioacoustic technology could be used to better understand the different species in the aquatic environments in Pittsburgh and help scientists, designers, engineers, policy makers and others understand the health of local ecosystems.
Economic Interventions
In addressing the intertwined challenges of environmental sustainability and economic vitality, our approach champions innovative economic interventions at multiple levels of society. At the state and regional level, we have introduced extracting natural resources in an eco-friendly way to minimize environmental impact and promote sustainability by using techniques that reduce pollution and preserve natural ecosystems. These frameworks represent a paradigm shift in Pittsburgh’s approach to natural resource management. Traditional oil extraction and fracking processes have been eradicated in favor of techniques that preserve and even rejuvenate our freshwater resources. This transition not only mitigates environmental degradation but also boosts the economy by fostering industries that are sustainable and forward-thinking.
At the national level, we focus on nurturing Global Emerging Markets. By tapping into the burgeoning sectors of green technology and sustainable infrastructure, Pittsburgh can position itself as a leader in an economy that prizes environmental health alongside financial growth. These markets are designed to encourage rapid economic growth through innovations in water purification and energy-efficient building practices, contributing to a robust, sustainable economy.
Moreover, on a city scale, Corporate Action initiatives have been set up to motivate companies to prioritize clean water services. By offering incentives for businesses that operate in a circular, waste-free manner, these actions not only support Pittsburgh’s economic landscape but also ensure that corporate practices align with communal and environmental well-being.
Together, these interventions form a cohesive strategy that enhances economic opportunities while ensuring the sustainability of our environmental resources. This holistic economic approach is crucial for achieving a future where economic growth and environmental health are interdependent, ensuring long-term prosperity and resilience for Pittsburgh.
Politics Governance Legal Interventions
As seen throughout the world today, politics is a pretty messy business that bleeds into all areas of life, including water quality. In Pittsburgh, there have been many times when people in positions of power, specifically within PWSA, are not qualified to be there which leads to faulty reporting and malpractice. We have come up with some political/governance/legal interventions that in conjunction with our other interventions will work towards a future that improves the state of government and water quality and leads us to our future vision of the hydrocommons.
The first intervention takes place on the neighborhood level and we have called it ‘Open Forum.’ This is the chance for everyone within the neighborhood/community to congregate with a representative from PWSA. During this time residents will be able to ask specific questions about the water quality, current systems in place, and future plans about improving water quality. This way there is open communication between PWSA and the residents of Pittsburgh on a more localized and personal level. This way residents can get clear and correct information directly from the source without having to search online and sort through all the misinformation. This also creates a personal connection between the residents and the representatives of PWSA, hopefully fostering a relationship, where the representatives want to do their part and ensure the clean water to the residents they are working closely with. We believe that having extra personal connections will build a relationship of trust and honesty that there should be with constituents and representatives.
Our next intervention takes place on the state/region level, which we have entitled the “Water Census Bureau.” Every state/region is responsible for sending out water testing kits to all the residents in their area, every 10 years. This collects information on the water quality in different areas and will help to identify any areas that are in need of attention. This data collection will allow the US to keep track of its overall quality of water, as well as help locate root causes affecting water quality in neighboring communities through information collected in the census. This will hold governments accountable for ensuring water quality to their constituents, while also allowing for large data collection that will be helpful in providing information to future water quality endeavors.
Lastly, our Social Media Influence intervention takes place on a planet level. This is the idea that social media takes a turn to start looking more closely into the water quality around the globe. This would allow highlighting of communities/regions/countries that are in desperate need of better water purification and hold politicians accountable for ensuring action is taken. To some extent social media does this already; however, there needs to be a bigger focus that really aims to drive the water quality movement and force action to be taken all over the world whether in the Global North or South. We believe that using social media could also create healthy competition between cities, countries, and regions to see who has the better water quality. This would then create an incentive and an almost patriotic approach to get people, specifically politicians, to care about water quality and to continually work to improve it every year.
Conclusion
Through our systematic research of water pollution in Pittsburgh, we identified various problem facets and saw how those connected and formed a wicked problem. That research helped us develop a proposal for a series of specific, action-forward design interventions. In our work on this final assignment we returned to the problem facets we had previously defined to see how we might target certain pain-points in an acupuntural fashion. Our goal in this Pittsburgh hydrocommons-action plan is to develop an ecology of systems interventions that solve for multiple problems synergistically and simultaneously.
We have done this through social, technological, economic, environmental, and political interventions. Our proposed social interventions tackle education and community building to encourage a change in cultural perspective towards water, shifting from considering it as a resource to be extracted and profited from, to a material that is the base of life, part of our bodies as well as other bodies. This perspective of non-religious sacredness towards water can change local and global cultures, informing personal beliefs, values and behaviors as well as laws and policies to address the urgency of tackling water pollution. The rapid technological advancements in Pittsburgh are set to improve water treatment and conservation efforts dramatically. From individual homes with precision water treatment technology to global initiatives of boosting desalination plants, these technologies address both immediate and long-term environmental and health challenges. The practical application of these technologies ensures cleaner water, healthier communities, and a more sustainable interaction with our natural resources. Economic interventions play a crucial role in addressing the wicked problem of sustainable water management by fostering an economy that values environmental health. By implementing Green-Extraction Frameworks, we are promoting industries that use environmentally friendly extraction methods, which help to preserve our freshwater resources and reduce pollution. Additionally, encouraging Corporate Actions and nurturing Global Emerging Markets focus on creating a circular, waste-free economy and boosting technological advancements in water sustainability. These interventions not only address the immediate challenges of water management but also support a broader vision of a resilient, thriving economy that is integrated with our environmental goals, promoting long-term sustainability and community well-being. Our environmental design interventions involve the installation of green infrastructure at the neighborhood level, the remediation and redevelopment of industrial brownfields and the separation of combined sewer overflows at the city level; the enactment of environmental policies that promote bivalve research and health at the regional level; and investment in bioacoustic technology research at the national level to help us better understand our aquatic ecosystems. Our political interventions foster a new connection between political officials and the greater community, and how together they can approach water pollution. Keeping officials accountable for the actions they are and aren’t taking toward providing clean water to all their constituents will bring water quality issues to the forefront of political campaigns. Using social media and having public gatherings will create a community who are insistent on making sure water quality improves by continually applying pressure on the political systems. The installation of the Water Census Bureau will ensure that government officials are keeping records and gathering important information about the progress of water quality. All of these strategies combine and enable a transition towards our vision of the Pittsburgh Hydrocommons.
Overall, throughout this Transition Design seminar, we developed a better understanding of water pollution in Pittsburgh and how it has consequences on both human and non-human stakeholders in the local environment. Our deepened understanding of the water pollution as a problem helped us understand what kind of design interventions could be implemented to address the problem; and our team became excited about our vision for the Pittsburgh Hydrocommons, which we think is an enticing imagination of the future. Although wicked problems are overwhelming to deal with and difficult to understand, the methods of transition design allow us to begin to tackle them.
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