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Touristic activities risk assessment -Approach and results. SASTDes WP3.7 Report

Measuring the Dutch clothing mountain

Measuring the Dutch clothing mountain

This report aims at sharing knowledge relevant for sustainabili- ty-oriented studies and actions in the Dutch apparel sector, with a focus on clothing volumes. The apparel industry is said to be one of the most polluting at a global level; however, we nd that dis- cussions of its environmental challenges or the actions needed to tackle them are often based on super cial or unreliable information. This information is frequently disseminated by word of mouth and non-scienti c texts and nally accepted as valid. Moreover, some actors working on practice-based solutions for the environmen- tal challenges of the apparel industry build solutions and projects based on these ‘facts’. As a result, these actors risk focussing on topics that are not as critical or relevant as was originally thought. Clear, reliable data is needed to pinpoint the true challenges and bottlenecks within the fashion system.

Rethinking tourist wellbeing through the concept of slow adventure.

The necessity for humans inhabiting the 21st century to slow down and take time to carry out daily practices frames the discourse of this research note. We suggest reconceptualising tourist wellbeing through the concept of slow adventure, as a response to the cult of speed and as a vehicle for engaging in deep, immersive and more meaningful experiences during journeys in the outdoors. We suggest that slow adventure has the potential to improve people’s general health and wellbeing through mindful enjoyment and consumption of the outdoor experience and thus bring people back to a state of mental and physical equilibrium. In so doing, we argue that extending the concept to include discussions around the psychological and social aspects of slow adventure is needed.

Managing social impact in design

We need look no further than the use of email communication, mobile phones and cars to understand that technology has wide-ranging social consequences. What is more, designers are plainly not always aware of the social consequences of technology, despite practicing user-centred design. Email, for instance, was developed as an efficient mode of communication between two actors. As we all know, the introduction of email has fundamentally changed traditional business and office practices. These side effects were not identified until long after email was introduced. During recent years, designers have grown increasingly interested in these social aspects. Modern information technology, in particular, creates extensive possibilities to influence social behaviour. Persuasive technology has been developed to increase, e.g., environmental friendliness. Once a designer aims at defined social changes, the consequences of technology for practices become a responsibility, too. The present research is aimed at providing tools and methods to anticipate social consequences at an earlier stage of the design process. These consequences of technologies in social environments will be called social impacts. In order to be a meaningful concept for designers the characteristics of a particular technology that are responsible for social impacts must be identified. Social consequences of technologies have not been observed very thoroughly from a user-centred design point of view. Therefore, this thesis is aimed, not only at gaining knowledge about social impact, but also translating these insights into workable instruments for designers. This leads to the following research questions:1. What relations can be identified between social impacts and characteristics oftechnologies?2. How can a designer anticipate social impact?3. How can social impact be managed in design environments?

Results market research travel behaviour. SASTDes WP4 Report Surveys