UNIST and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Propose Climate Crisis Response Policy

UNIST and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) have experimented with policy design to address the climate crisis.

Through a citizen participation process, they derived ideas and policy directions for achieving carbon neutrality.

Research team. (From left, Professor Lee Seungho, Lee Hyori, Han Minjoo, Researcher Kwak Byungkuk)

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The team led by Professor Lee Seungho from the Department of Design at UNIST (President Park Jongrae) proposed practical measures for carbon neutrality at a citizen-participatory policy workshop held for visitors of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. A total of 164 citizens, ranging from children to the elderly, participated and shared a variety of opinions.

During the workshop, immediately actionable ideas emerged, such as reviewing regulations for the museum's carbon neutrality. Long-term measures were also discussed, including decentralizing the museum into smaller units to minimize energy resource consumption.

The research team began with a children's workshop and continued with sessions for youth, middle-aged and older adults, and museum decision-makers. They organically connected the opinions of each age group to develop ideas into carbon-neutral policies.

A design-driven approach that reflected the imagination and opinions of children was at the core of the workshop. This was an attempt to incorporate the voices of children, who are greatly affected by the climate crisis, into policy. It became an important opportunity for the museum to explore sustainable operational strategies for future generations.

Participants used visual materials to imagine and discuss the experiences of individuals and the museum facing the climate crisis. By adapting participatory design methodologies from Northern Europe to suit domestic public institutions, the workshop suggested strategic policy directions for the museum's future.

Policy ideas placed on top of the 'Government as a System' toolkit.

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Researcher Lee Hyori explained, "We based our approach on design thinking, which is a way to test ideas for the future and reflect on reality," adding, "Through the citizen-participatory design workshop, we were able to contribute to transforming the museum into an institution that overcomes the climate crisis."

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