Curie Team (10-14)

The nature and structure of communities — neighborhoods, subdivisions, gongyu’s, and villages — have evolved in myriad different ways. There is plenty of evidence that the current models are unsustainable or obsolete, with respect to carbon footprint, care for the elderly, care for children, lifelong education, and many other attributes of social organization. This theme will include topics related to reimagining our communities, to better address our needs and aspirations.

There are many disciplines involved in the design and building of communities. Some of them are obvious: architecture, materials sciences, operations research, and economics, to name a few. Many issues are complex and interdisciplinary, such as the historical changes that led to a crisis in care for the elderly, and what to do about it in China or the US. The Curie Team in Yunnan will drill down on the particular problems facing a housing developer in Kunming, as it confronts these dynamic circumstances.

The camps will include intensive research and explorations; analysis, problem formulation, and synthesis; all in collaboration with Campers from all over the world. Each project team will select an authentic problem and identify the stakeholders involved in its resolution in Kunming. The final exhibition will include a presentation to some of these stakeholders, with feedback from such experts. Each team member will get a copy of the portfolio, individual feedback from the PlanetLabs.Earth staff, as well as a video of their team’s presentations and exhibition.