Limits - Intertwingled: Information Changes Everything - page 102

breakfast” but we didn't really listen. We dove head first into user experience without capturing
the hearts and minds of stakeholders. It worked for a while, sort of, but surface design is at its
limits. We think we're making software, websites, and experiences, but we're not. We are agents
of change within complex adaptive systems. Until we accept this mission, we will forever repeat
our mistakes. It's time to go deep and shine a bright light, since we're all in this together.
Daylighting
Headwater streams are the origin of most rivers. They are the smallest parts of river networks
but constitute the majority of river miles, and they provide vital ecosystem services. cxxxvii They
provide habitat for invertebrates, amphibians, fish, birds, insects, and plants. They also recharge
their local groundwater systems, spread nutrients, remove pollution, reduce flooding, and sus-
tain the health of downstream rivers, lakes, and bays.
Sadly, until recently, we didn't see their value, so we systematically buried headwater streams
and used them as sewer pipes to transport waste. For decades, they were unnamed, unmapped,
invisible. But, increased urban flooding and ecological awareness has led to a reversal. In more
and more cities, from Kalamazoo, Michigan to Yonkers, New York, we have begun to map,
name, and uncover buried streams.
Figure 5-2. Five things you won't see in a buried river.
This strategy can revitalize ecosystems and economies. Flood mitigation cuts insurance costs
and raises property values, but cities also use daylighting as a catalyst for creating urban parks
and greenways with bike trails and walking paths. Schools are weaving these habitats into bio-
logy and ecology curricula. And without the cover of darkness, polluters are being forced to
clean up their mess. In cities of all sorts, people are growing healthier, happier, and more con-
nected with nature.
Of course, revelation isn't just for rivers. Daylighting is also a metaphor for the mapmaking
work we must do. We should use our categories and connections to reveal the hidden assump-
tions of culture; and sketch links and loops to explore the latent potential of systems; and realize
mental models by drawing them outside our heads. By making the invisible visible, we can shift
the context of vision and decision, but helping people to see differently is a skill we don't use