SCIENCE FOR SUSTAINABILITY: WHY INTER-CONNECTED PROBLEMS CALL FOR INTER-CONNECTED KNOWLEDGE
Joe Ravetz.

‘Sustainability’ in its early days seemed to be simple balance between economy, society and environment. Now it has grown into a jungle of ‘grand challenges’, ‘wicked problems’, ‘societal dilemmas’ and similar problematic issues. Examples include climate change, GMOs, the ‘war on drugs’, and urban poverty.
As for sustainability science: it’s now widely agreed that the disciplinary structure of academic science, with its house journals, curricula, peer communities etc, is not well qualified for such trans-disciplinary, messy, controversial issues. But the ways forward are not yet clear or accepted by the mainstream community: a research proposal or output which is high-risk, messy and controversial is less likely to get funding or publication.
In response, the concept of a next generation operating system, which is here framed as ‘Science 3.0’, has emerged through work on complex systems analysis and sustainability design thinking. Briefly, a Science 3.0 model includes key features such as:

- Multi-scope, aiming at a whole systems perspective, in contrast to specific component or disciplinary knowledge.
- Multi-valent, in combining different worldviews and systems of logic, e.g. social, technical, economic, ecological, political and cultural.
- Multi-purpose, combining diagnostics / modelling / analysis, with prognostics / design / synthesis.
- Multi-cognitive, with a reflexive process of deliberation, inter-subjective learning etc.

For all these, multiple channels and media for learning, thinking and communications are essential. One is visual thinking in its many forms (from technical charts, to design or illustration, to fine art). Another is ‘synergistics’, a dynamic interactive application of systems thinking & cybernetics.
This presentation uses synergistic and visual thinking, with a ‘rational-discursive’ outline of the Science 3.0 paradigm. We aim at an interactive discussion which demonstrates the ‘shared-mind’ of the research community.

Joe Ravetz, Co-Director of the Centre for Urban & Regional Ecology at the University of Manchester.
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He works on sustainable cities and regions, with interests in foresight / future studies for urban / environmental issues, new economics and governance, innovation and transition studies.  Joe’s main publications include ‘City-Region 2020’:  ‘Environment and City’ (co-authored), and the forthcoming ‘Urban 3.0: creative synergy and social intelligence’ (Earthscan / Routledge). 
Through these a unique research agenda has emerged, on the ‘shared-mind’ social intelligence of urban systems.  The ‘synergistic mapping’ toolkit helps to analyse and design systems of cognitive complexity, with pathways for ‘grand societal challenges’, such as climate change, urban poverty or economic resilience.
Joe has worked with the UN Industrial Development Organization & UN Habitat, Institute for Alternative Futures, Rockefeller Foundation, WWF-International, Finland Environment Institute, Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, European Commission DG Regio / DG Research / ECOSOC, UK Dept of Environment, Regional Development Agencies, Government Office of Science, Environment Agency, research councils and many professional bodies.  With a background as an architect / planner, he is a keen visual thinker and graphic facilitator in foresight / futures / sustainability processes.  He is a board member of the International Journal for Sustainable Development, Foresight Journal and Sustainable Mediterranean Construction:  Principal at SAMI Consulting: and delivers training, seminars, keynotes and reviews in many countries.