Swagata Naidu and Sucharita Beniwal
Systems theory highlights that understanding underlying structures is critical to knowing why systems behave the way they do and reinforce that these structures are a key point of intervention for systems change (Meadows, 2008). The pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine crisis have brought forth proof of how everything is connected at multiple levels and how one small change at the micro level brings about a massive effect. Mapping, reading, and making sense of systemic interrelationships in the staggeringly complex situation to lead to safety has become a high priority.
Safety has been one of the most critical factors for human system evolutions, be it the design of civilizations, food security or the race towards weaponization. Humans have continually designed to create objects and environments that create a sense of safety and comfort for them. The meaning of safety remains the same, despite changing circumstances and contradictions of scale. Depending on the socio-economic background, experiences of spaces are different for different people.
Keywords: safe places, deciphering physical spaces, place-making, placemaking, scenario mapping
