Designing for Emergence: How Complex Systems Emerge From Simple Rules | Sharon Wohl

Work and urban design are continuously evolving, but there’s something to be learned from one of the oldest multi-sided businesses in history – the Grand Bazaar. This intricate market has somehow managed to sustain itself for over 500 years without a single leader at the helm. Dr. Sharon Wohl has spent countless hours analyzing the design of the Grand Bazaar, revealing how such bottom-up hierarchies can produce quality products and processes consistently for hundreds of years.

Dr. Sharon Wohl is a distinguished scholar specializing in complex adaptive systems within urban design. She is the current Associate Dean for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Kent State University.

In this episode, Dart and Sharon discuss:
- The emergence and sustainability of the Grand Bazaar
- Complex adaptive systems (CASTs) in decentralized settings
- Whether or not we need an overarching governance at work
- How simple rules can lead to complex results
- An analysis of bottom-up strategies for system design and urbanism
- The less visible flows within a business
- The way designers can enable thriving systems
- And other topics…

Dr.  Sharon Wohl is a distinguished scholar specializing in complex adaptive systems within urban design. With a Ph.D. in Spatial Planning and Strategy from Delft Technical University, Sharon has taught at University of Manitoba and held a tenured position at Iowa State University. She is the current Associate Dean for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Kent State University. Prior to completing her doctorate, she practiced with the award-winning Canadian Architectural firm, 5468796 Architecture.

Wohl’s research examines how principles of complex adaptive systems can be operationalized within the built environment. Her expertise in complexity has been recognized through a research fellowship with the Institute for Advanced Studies in Amsterdam, invitations for speaking/guest lecture events, and her academic appointment as an FRK Faculty Fellow at ISU. Her research has been published in a variety of journals, including Planning Theory, Progress in Human Geography, and Space and Culture. 

Resources mentioned:
“The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul,” by Sharon Wohl: https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/f478ee3b-4098-4630-996b-024d6eefca01/content
How Buildings Learn, by Stewart Brand: https://www.amazon.com/How-Buildings-Learn-Happens-Theyre/dp/0140139966

Connect with Sharon:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-wohl-4168177
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=mGa84LoAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao 

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.