Ageing and Climate Change: A Society-Technology-Design Discourse

ABSTRACT

This paper considers the twin forces of an ageing population and climate change effects in the context of global warming. Inclusive and Sustainable Design approaches respectively attempt to respond to one but not both of these phenomena, producing ‘unsustainable inclusivity’ and ‘deterministic sustainability’ outcomes. Both produce counterfactual, even perverse, social and environmental effects, including the failure of design and other standards and guidance to produce the desired benefits. By drawing on the author's empirical research on sustainable urban environment and transport projects, a science-technology-design conceptual approach is explored in order to bridge these design and society-nature divides by integrating inclusive/human-centred and environmental/sustainable design fields. The paper suggests Science Technology Society (STS) studies rather than fragmented design specialisms as an alternative perspective to address these wicked problems.

KEYWORDS:

• ageing
• climate change
• science technology and society studies
• inclusive design
• sustainable design

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Graeme Evans

Biography

Professor Graeme Evans holds a Chair in Design at Brunel University, Department of Design and is a special Chair in Culture and Urban Development at Maastricht University, Department of Science Technology & Society. He was formerly founder-director of the Cities Institute, and head of research at Central St Martins College of Art & Design. He has held numerous research grants from AHRC, ESRC, EPSRC and the EU, including major projects under the EPSRC Sustainable Urban Environment, AHRC Connected Communities and EU FP programmes on cities and urban transport.