This year, Design Biotop focuses on the importance of finding creative and inclusive solutions for better economic and social impact on the city development taking sustainability as the core of the development.

Design Biotop 2019: Space & Creative Mindset consists of workshops for closed groups (23. 5.) and conference & workshops open to public (24. 5.). Guests of this year’s Design Biotop are Anne Stenros (Chief Design Officer of city of Helsinki 2016-2018), John A. Bruce and Anže Zadel (professors at Parsons School of Design), Antje Steinmuller (Associate Professor at California College of the Arts and member of The Urban Works Agency), Freo Majer (artistic director of Forecast), collective MOSTLIKELY and platform Working with the 99 % (Ateliermob).

Program addresses all interested parties in all fields of design, business, management, public and private sector, architecture and urbanism, social studies, public sector, professionals from different fields interested in how the topic of conference relate to creative problem solving and to all interested in housing, inclusion, participation workshops and so on.

In the last years, we have seen quite a few positive and negative examples of cities coping with the issues of sustainable development. We have also seen examples of cities embracing societal inclusion and community participation and making it an important part of their decision-making process. We have seen the first Chief Designer Officer assigned for the City of Helsinki three years ago and various cities employing designers as consultants to help solve complex challenges of today. One of the focal questions cities are facing today is how can we achieve sustainable futures where creativity, economic perspectives, inclusion, and city development can thrive together?

Being interested in sustainable/systemic approach in design – Design Biotop is preparing a diverse mix of interesting speakers and practical insights with case studies and workshops for the 2019 conference. The event will discuss the connection between nurturing and engaging design as part of the decision-making and sustainable economic outcomes.

Program of this year’s Design Biotop consists of two parts; workshops for closed groups on May 23rd (with invited local stakeholders) and conference & workshops on May 24th at Museum of Architecture and Design MAO, Ljubljana. Program addresses all interested parties in all fields of design, business, management, public and private sector, architecture and urbanism, social studies, public sector, professionals from different fields interested in how the topic of conference relate to creative problem solving and to all interested in housing, inclusion, participation workshops and so on.