Connected Intelligence Operating System

Process Design and the Shared Space Project

"Practice always takes the path of least resistance", says John Seely Brown. "Process, on the other hand, tries to map the route".
Management needs to handle this conflict. Process steps add cost. Lack of process steps is not cheap either.

Few cities in Europe, are adopting the Shared Space Project. During 2008, in Ashford, Kent (U.K.), they replaced a section of former four lane ring road with two-way streets on which drivers, cyclists and pedestrians have equal priority. Unnecessary street furniture, road markings and traffic lights have been removed and the speed limit cut to 20 mph.

Between November 2008 and January 2011, there have been four road casualties, resulting from the six reported accidents.

This huge success of low accident rate, has given a boost to the Shared Space Project. I watched a YouTube Video, where a person narrated how difficult it is, for a pedestrian to cross the street now, as there are no traffic lights. Similarly, drivers need to be super-alert all the time. So, there ain't no free lunch.

It is high time, that Software Development Processes are designed with the same rigor as Engineering Design,

The goal of engineering design is to obviate failure….and what we define as failure, depends on the operating context.

When I meant Process, I didn't mean espoused process, but the actual process practiced by practitioners. You could be precise without resorting to high ceremony. You just need to design codes of invariance and agree upon. That's all.