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Net Zero and The Law of Horse Manure
Catastrophic predictions that spell dark days for humanity are nothing new. The Times predicted in 1894 that in 50 years time, every street in London would be buried under nine feet of horse manure. It was the crisis of all crises. There was, to be fair, some evidence for this. As urban populations rapidly increased… Read more
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The Gravitational Pull Of Business As Usual
The interior secrets of black holes are guarded by a one-way light-trapping boundary called the event horizon. This horizon is the point, according to NASA, that the gravitational influence of the black hole becomes so intense that not even light is fast enough to escape it. A very different horizon exists in many organisations, except… Read more
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Community Is The Only Unit of Sustainable Change
The basic unit of sustained innovation is not a creative individual, nor even a team, but a creative community with a cause. Charles Leadbetter I’m just off the back of a first round of workshops, or rather conversations, about the importance of place with residents. I say conversations because we simply don’t talk enough about… Read more
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How Do You Change A System That Doesn’t Want To Change?
There were two recurring P words throughout the New Local ‘Stronger Things’ event in London’s Guildhall. Permission: give it. Power: share it. The Guildhall was built in the 15th century to demonstrate the continuing power of the merchants of the City of London who regulated trade, and to ensure they preserved that same power. A… Read more
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Technology Is Not Innovation.
For all the talk of technology, let’s remember we are human businesses and we exist to help other humans do better in life. It’s our only real purpose. So let’s think how we can use technology to leverage the huge talents and skills lying within our communities. Putting it directly in their hands will yield… Read more
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Work Is Mostly Mundane. And That’s Not A Bad Thing
Just like the modern world implores that we should be happy all the time (we aren’t and we are not meant to be), the modern workplace wants everyone to be engaged, energised and innovative when they simply don’t need to be. People just need to be fulfilled Read more
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Do You Really Need An Innovation Strategy?
Do you really need an innovation strategy? I say no. You need a strategy that sets out a challenge and invites everyone to ask questions and go on a journey of discovery. A strategy that is founded on principles of good innovation management , rather than innovation management simply existing in within the confines of… Read more
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Is The 15-Minute City A Bad Idea?
How do relatively straightforward ideas become so controversial? The 15-minute city (FMC or 15mC) is an urban planning concept that aims to make cities or towns more liveable by ensuring that all essential services — think schools, medical care and shops — are within the distance of a short walk or bicycle ride. If you have visited places like Amsterdam or Paris,… Read more
Paul Taylor 