• Systemic Dimensions of the Urban Consumer Behaviour / Iasi, Romania, 20th of October 2023

Systemic Dimensions of Abstract: More and more we think and even more frequently represent the urban worlds in
systemic terms. All sorts of claims, from strategic, political, social, and cultural to even
the Urban Consumer psychosocial ones, insinuate into our discourses and carry their own load of particular themes
and vocabularies. Words such as ecosystem, biopolitics, and resilience have become operative
Behaviour in our languages and they are no longer novelties in the issues raised in the debate about our
urban worlds and our roles as consumers of the big cities. Under the circumstances, I find it
more interesting to address the issue in terms of systemic approaches, more precisely the

1. Iceberg Model psychosocial understanding of contemporary urban consumer behaviour.

• Codrin Dinu Vasiliu In this presentation, based on methodological methods employed in the Cities2030 project, I
would like to introduce a possible systemic approach by unifying three qualifying models for
urban consumer behaviour, namely the Iceberg model, the systemic fields model, and the
model of resilience dynamics. Their joint use could lay the foundations of a complex approach
to understanding urban systems.

Romanian Academy, Iasi Branch

“Gh. Zane” Institute for Economic and Social
Research Keywords: Urban systems, consumer behaviour, systems thinking, Iceberg model, systemic fields
model, resilience dynamics model, Cities2030 project
CONFERENCE: Themes and Fundamental Ideas
in the Field of Psychology and Educational
Sciences Acknowledgment: This presentation results from the scientific research within the Cities2030
project, financed by the European Commission from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research
Iași, România, 20th of October 2023 and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101000640.
• Systemic Dimensions of the Urban Consumer Behaviour / Iasi, Romania, 20th of October 2023

D3.3 Systems Thinking Methodology D3.3 Systems Thinking

Deliverable in Cities2030 project
Methodology; 2021
https://cities2030.eu/deliverable/d3-3-systems-thinking-methodology/ Tuula Löytty
Codrin Dinu Vasiliu
Ioan Sebastian Brumă
Lucian Tanasă
Deliverable D3.3 describes the process and results that embrace a Mark Koetse
methodological and logical framework for Cities and Regions Food Systems to Justine Vanhalst
Kyriakos E. Georgiou
apply Systems Thinking. The provision responds to the following questions:
Edna Yamasaki
Demet Osmancelebioglu
● What are the issues in Cities and Regions Food Systems? Bruno da Silva
● Why is it important to find solutions to these issues? Sebastian Doboș
Kalle Karlsson
● How to make sense of urban food systems’ interconnections?
● Which are the scenarios and best solutions?
Reference:
Löytty, T.; Dinu Vasiliu, C.; Brumă, I. S.; Tanasă, L.;
The evolution of the D3.3 includes participatory activities, an application of Koetse, M.; Vanhalst, J.; Georgiou, K. E.; Yamasaki,
pre-existing models, and pioneer exploitation of novel ICT tools. The results E.; Osmancelebioglu, D.; SiIva, B.; Doboș, S.;
Karlsson, K. CITIES2030 - D3.3 Systems Thinking
are leverageable in nearly all work packages of CITIES2030. Methodology; 2021,

Available online: http://cities2030.eu

• Systemic Dimensions of the Urban Consumer Behaviour / Iasi, Romania, 20th of October 2023

The ICEBERG model as a Structural Allegory

Resources
The ICEBERG model is not a new model. It is used in various theories and ● Systems Thinking Lab
methodologies and relies mainly on the basic elements of the Iceberg metaphor: ● D3.3 Systems Thinking
● There is a visible part of the Iceberg, but it is the smallest part of the overall mass and Methodology
structure. In this sense, the Iceberg metaphor is especially useful when we want to
emphasize that the visible part of a speech, an idea, an action or an entity is not the main
part.
● The iceberg is a vertically ordered structure and the greatest weight (both literally and
metaphorically) lies deep within the structure we are considering.
● The iceberg makes sense only as a structure understood in its totality. The meaning of the
Iceberg is not reductively given by the visible or the hidden part. The interpretive challenge
is to make structural sense of the entire entity under consideration.

All these features and more ake us to use the Iceberg Model in Acknowledgment: This presentation
results from the scientific research
● The ystemic work methodologies for the knowledge management.
within the Cities2030 project, financed
by the European Commission from the
At the same time we must consider that European Union’s Horizon 2020 research
● There are several applications that have already become classics in using the Iceberg and innovation programme under grant
Model. agreement No 101000640.
• Systemic Dimensions of the Urban Consumer Behaviour / Iasi, Romania, 20th of October 2023

A classic ICEBERG model in societal systems

Examples
● The most visible level. Not a structural model. Trans-sistemic? ● Ecochallenge Platform

Expression
● Direct interaction with reality.
Events L1 ●
●
Immediate action and epistemic experience.
Strong narratives and examples.

First structural model. Structural Ontology.

L2
●

Syntax
Patterns ● The most accessible level for direct intervention actions.

Second structural level.

Morphology
●
Structures L3 ● High level of consolidation.
● Language, values, authority, institutions.

Third structural level.

L4
Paradigm

●
Mental Models ● Highly ideological level. Acknowledgment: This presentation
● Foundaments, legitimities, motivations, projections, scopes, missions. results from the scientific research
within the Cities2030 project, financed

Infrasystem +L by the European Commission from the

European Union’s Horizon 2020 research
and innovation programme under grant
agreement No 101000640.
• Systemic Dimensions of the Urban Consumer Behaviour / Iasi, Romania, 20th of October 2023

ICEBERG Model or Models?

Trans-system Resourses
● Polanyi, Michael. 2002 [1958].
Explicit Participatory Will to Personal Knowledge: Towards a
Events

Agency
Knowledge Knowledge understand Agents Post-Critical Philosophy. London:
Routledge
● Fodor, Jerry. 1981. The Appeal to
Implicit Delegated Will to Adapt Tacit Knowledge in Psychological
Patterns Knowledge Knowledge Explanation. Representations.

Tendencies to switch
Cambridge, MA: Bradford/MIT
Knowledge by
Tacit Press, 1981
representants Will to

Resilience
Structures
gy

Knowledge
or by proxy Integrate
Actors
tolo
l On

Passive
Knowledge
a

Mental Models
ctur

Will to be
Acknowledgment: This presentation
recognized
Stru

results from the scientific research

ri ence within the Cities2030 project, financed

c Expe by the European Commission from the

Infrasystem temi
Epis
European Union’s Horizon 2020 research
and innovation programme under grant
agreement No 101000640.
• Systemic Dimensions of the Urban Consumer Behaviour / Iasi, Romania, 20th of October 2023

Stakeholders. Quadruple Model and the societal roles

according with Iceberg Model Resources
● Meadows, Donella H. The Global
Citizen. (Washington, DC: Island
Press, 1991)

Biopolitical Space
Governance
on

Entr

Pers
buti

e
atio

pren

Public Space
ri

nali
c

eurs
dist

Edu

ty D
hip
nce

istri

Acknowledgment: This presentation

erna

buti

Civil Society results from the scientific research

on
Gov

within the Cities2030 project, financed

by the European Commission from the

Individuals
European Union’s Horizon 2020 research
Private Space and innovation programme under grant
agreement No 101000640.
 Iasi, Romania, 20.10.2023

Thank yoy
& I invite you ti visit
Our Participatory Knowledge Ecosystem
Rural Development Research Platform Ecosystem

• RDRP research hub This project has

received funding
• SAAR Symposium from the European
• LLINN - European Living Labs INN Union’s Horizon
2020 research and
• FILL Living & Policy Lab Innovation
• RoRuralia Living & Policy Lab programme under
grant agreement
• Gust de Iasi Platform 101000640.
• Iasul in bucate Community

The content of this presentation does not reflect the official opinion of
the European Union. Responsibility for the information and views
expressed therein lies entirely with the authors.

• Systemic Dimensions of the Urban Consumer Behaviour

Codrin Dinu Vasiliu / www.ices.acadiasi.org