Published and presented the system map at RSD11 Symposium, University of Brighton
Conducted by the Systemic Design Association
Systems Thinking
A systemic design approach to uncover the transportation needs of the Visakhapatnam city.
Challenge
To study and understand Visakhapatnam's transportation and mobility scenario, redefine it with an innovative, sustainable, and accessible solution that addresses a real-life problem.
Outcome
A system design proposal with a restructured relationship between the government, industries, and tourism sector.
Impact
The proposed system map was published and presented in the recent RSD11 (Relating Systems thinking and Design) symposium hosted by the University of Brighton.
Collaborators
G Shankar Gopi | Siddhartha Pandey
Domain
System Design | Society | Policy Design
Year
2022
X
A live industry project with Arrival Ltd. UK
ARRIVAL
Arrival is a British company that develops and manufactures electric mobility solutions, primarily lightweight commercial vehicles. Their goal is to produce efficient and economical automobiles by reinventing products and the process for end-to-end sustainability.
Arrival is reinventing the automotive industry with an entirely new approach to the design and assembly of electric vehicles focused on sustainability, empowering communities, and accessibility.
BRIEF
To study and understand Visakhapatnam's transportation and mobility scenario, redefine it with an innovative, sustainable and accessible solution that addresses a real-life problem.
GOAL
To develop future mobility solutions for specific areas within India while leveraging the arrival platform.
OBJECTIVES
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Empower local communities
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Leverage local resources
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Incorporate city’s belief’s and culture
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Reduce complexity
VISAKHAPATNAM
Visakhapatnam (popularly known as Vizag) is a tier-2 port city and an industrial center in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Nestled between the Eastern Ghats and the coast of the Bay of Bengal, it is a natural hub for tourism, defense, shipping, trade, and manufacturing. The city has earned nicknames such as "The City of Destiny" and "Jewel of the East Coast" for its pristine natural environment, economical housing, and laid-back culture.
#industrial_center #port_city #tourism
BUT WHY VIZAG?
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Natural hub for tourism and various industries
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Attracts many migrants from neighboring states searching for employment opportunities
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Became the point of interest for significant development in Andhra Pradesh state after the bifurcation of the State in 2014.
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A diverse city, posing unique challenges to people living and working there.
METHODOLOGY
Secondary Research
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Reading about the city
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PESTEL Study
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Netnography
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Online conversations with residents
Making Sense of the Data
Defining Target Audience
Primary Research
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Field visit
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Conversation starters
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Surveys
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Interviews
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Observations and Note-taking
Synthesis and Analysis
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Thematic coding
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Insight generation
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Defining problem statements
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System Map
Brainstorming & Ideation
Giga-Mapping
SECONDARY RESEARCH
READ, WRITE, CONNECT...
When we started approaching the project, we knew we needed to gather as much information about Visakhapatnam as possible. To do this, we read and collected information about the city and then wrote it down on a large board to see if any connections could be made.
We studied different entities and structures of the city through articles, case studies, and netnography. This exercise allowed us to view the city from different angles and helped us make informed design decisions and recommendations later in the design phase.
AN EXTENSIVE STUDY
Although we studied a lot about the different entities involved, since the city's transportation was our focus, we decided to read extensively about the current and future transportation mediums and networks.
OBSERVATION FROM SECONDARY RESEARCH
A clear divide in the city center and the outskirts
As we move forward, we found a clear distinction between the nature and workings of the city center and areas around the city. Below are a few points we noticed during our secondary research that highlight that differentiation.
City Center
Major tourist spots
City Outskirts
Major Industries
PRIMARY RESEARCH
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To understand how different modes of transportation work in the city.
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To analyze and gauge the impact of industries on the city
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To know how the city will possibly look in the future.
Primary Research Tools
OBSERVATIONS FROM IMMERSION
City Center
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Well-maintained and wide roads in the city center but not in outskirts
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Growing food truck businesses near tourism spots with customized vehicles
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Excess number of auto rikshaws causing traffic congestion and unethical parking
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BRTS lane being used by all the vehicles and autos parked randomly on roadsides
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Various motorized vehicle rental services
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No NMT services for short-distance travel inside the city and last-mile connectivity
Outskirts
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No dedicated space where workers can wait comfortably before getting hired for the work
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The roads and vehicles getting affected by coal dust
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Laborers hire auto-rickshaws in groups for a month and pay the driver in installments
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No dedicated and safe transport options for laborers working at the port
INITIAL OBSERVATIONS FROM INTERVIEWS
STUDENTS
LABORERS
AUTO DRIVERS
Limited travel options, inconvenient public transport, and easy buying options are some of the factors contributing to rise in personal vehicles.
In addition to unsafe working conditions, long working hours, lower wages, and job loss risk, they have no other option but to choose either an expensive auto-rickshaw, inconvenient bicycle, or inefficient buses to travel daily approx 60kms.
Rising fuel prices, increased competition from other auto-rickshaws, and people preferring personal vehicles after COVID have all led to increased fares and hence a decrease in rideshare of auto-rickshaws.
TRUCK DRIVERS
CITY POLICE
APSRTC MANAGER
Truck drivers and helpers are hired only for limited hours as per available work. They have to come early and wait in the hope of being hired. Long working hours (continuous 24 hrs.), unhealthy working conditions, rigorous work, and low pay all contribute to poor living situations. A language barrier also exists for truck drivers from different states.
The National Highway is the only main connecting option due to the city's geographically linear shape. This results in mixed traffic, with simultaneous interactions between general traffic, heavy vehicles, and pedestrians. As a result, there is more traffic congestion and accidents on the outskirts.
Public transportation is majorly used by students and the lower-middle-class population in the city. It's tough to keep operating when fewer people use public transport and losses are higher. Smart technologies are being developed to solve this problem and make public transportation more accessible to people.
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS: MAKING SENSE OF THE DATA
GIGA MAP
Gigamap captures the system context of Visakhapatnam city, emerging trends, and the existing system. It also establishes interconnections between government, industry sectors, tourism, ports, transportation needs, and communities. The industrial area at the centre of this map is used as a metaphor to convey a detailed understanding of the present system. Each building represents an individual entity, and relevant data, mapping, and rich insights are highlighted. The interrelationship amongst each system element is indicated and how they affect each other and the overall system. The final themes, significant design opportunities, and directions are summarised on the right side of this map. The proposed system map demonstrates the reconfigured relations of stakeholders and entities.
MAJOR PROBLEMS
Degrading City Transportation
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Disconnected Outskirts
Empowering public transport through tourism
Integrating mobility services with industries
Solution
PROPOSED SYSTEM MAP
BRAINSTORMING
CATEGORIZE AND FILTER
Presentations with Arrival Team
We received an amazing feedback and review on our research and solutions. The solutions created were fresh yet practical to be implemented in coming years.