A collaboration with the organization Population Matters will look at the impacts of the growing world population on cities. Think back 75 years and 2,287 billion people lived on earth and on the 1st day of 2105 there were 7,244billion people – a rise of 316%. Little need to imagine the strains on the earth’s eco-systems and its consequences or let alone the increased social stresses of larger populations in cities and mass movements of people. These changes create a break in continuity.

With Forum Virium in Helsinki Charles is working with Jarmo Eskilinen on a review of the impact on cities when everything is sensorized and true digitization takes hold and where feedback is omni-present and fast. What will the city look and feel like and how will we navigate urban space. What happens when the real and virtual blend and will we cope with the avalanche of ’big data’. Will our lives feel more complete or more fragmented?

The Creative Bureaucracy in South Australia will explore an issue in depth that Charles has been pursuing for 10 years. Collaborators are Margie Caust and Richard Brecknock. The project has three elements: Exploring: The ‘exploring’ element will focus on developing a framework and methodology to assess bureaucratic creativity. Experimenting: Will use South Australia and greater Adelaide as a “Living Laboratory” to test the potential for creative thinking in local and state government and to seek out areas of good practice. Exchanging: This element focuses on connecting and sharing lessons and has the potential to make Adelaide and South Australia the knowledge hub for the creative bureaucracy. The aim is hold an international event in 2016.