This week shifts our focus from understanding wicked problems to exploring how individuals, communities, organizations, and policymakers attempt to engage them in practice. Drawing on Bentley and Toth’s (2020) discussion of working Part 3: In and Out of the Swamp, the Problem- Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) framework, and the bike lane and urban mobility case studies, we examine how progress often emerges through experimentation, stakeholder engagement, adaptation, and iterative learning rather than through comprehensive solutions. For this discussion, reflect on the bike lane case study as an example of a wicked problem, and consider what meaningful engagement might look like in a complex, evolving system. In your post, respond to 2-3 prompts: 1. Reflect on a problem within a current or past work environment or system you are involved
in. How could you redefine the problem so that it reflects what people are actually experiencing rather than a broader assumption of the problem?
2. Drawing from the PDIA framework, identify one aspect of the mobility system that could serve as a realistic entry point for engagement or experimentation. Why might starting small be beneficial in this context?
3. What resistance might you anticipate when attempting to shift priorities, processes, or ways of working? Consider political, structural, cultural, or stakeholder-level resistance.
4. Reflect on the ‘Bike Lane” case study: When organizations attempt to improve performance, efficiency, or effectiveness, what unintended consequences or tradeoffs might arise?
5. Reflect on your own wicked problem. What lessons from the bike lane case or PDIA framework might inform the way you approach engagement, experimentation, stakeholder collaboration, or adaptive action within your chosen issue?
As you respond to classmates, focus on exploring possibilities and stakeholder realities rather than identifying a single “best” solution. Consider how different approaches may create opportunities for learning and movement within complex systems.
Looking forward to your responses.
Warmly,
Christie & AJ & Dr. Wedaman
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