A City Portrait Canvas for Workshops
A workshop tool to evaluate strategies through the City Portrait’s ‘4 lenses’
Version 1.1 (March 2021)
* 下面也提供葡萄牙语（PDF) *
* Também disponível em português abaixo (PDF) *
Overview
The City Portrait Canvas is a workshop tool created by the Thriving Cities Initiative – a partnership between Doughnut Economics Action Lab, C40 Cities and Circle Economy. Changemakers can use this tool to foster big-picture thinking on how a particular city strategy may impact the world in which it is embedded, both socially and ecologically, locally and globally.
The Canvas is designed for strategic policy development and analysis in workshop settings. It applies the City Portrait’s ‘4 Lenses’ conceptual framework as a basis for participants to consider the many complex interconnections between a city’s local aspirations – to be thriving people in a thriving place – and its global responsibilities – to respect the wellbeing of all people and the health of the whole planet.
Why use it?
This is an easy-to-use and engaging workshop tool that is well-suited for small groups or breakout sessions (2–8 people per group) aiming to enhance the design of city strategies, policies and initiatives to meet 21st century challenges.
The tool is an integrated and ready-to-use set of resources (available as PDF in both A3 and A4 paper sizes) that includes:
- A blank ‘Canvas’ template of the 4 Lenses
- Step-by-step instructions
- Additional information and worksheets
Watch this 10-minute video for an illustrative example of how to use the City Portrait Canvas to create city strategies in a holistic way:
Acknowledgements
The City Portrait Canvas was created by Max Russell, Ilektra Kouloumpi, Vera Charniak, and Nicolas Raspail from Circle Economy, with contributions from Julia Lipton from C40, Kate Raworth and Andrew Fanning from DEAL.
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This tool is licensed under a Creative Commons BY SA 4.0 license. For full details visit our Licensing Rules. 
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Member
Nora Clinton
Cowes, England, United Kingdom
Hi, My name is Nora. I live on the Isle of Wight (UK) and am interested in making change in my local community using the Doughnut approach. I worked for 5 years in the space of circular economy and now work with policy makers at University College London in driving innovation towards the great challenges of our times (climate change, cancer etc). Looking forward to being part of this community!
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Member
Aline Marcelino
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
I am a project manager, designer, and consultant for the Circular economy. I help individuals, businesses, institutions and organizations to become regenerative, collaborative, circular.
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Member
Nora Aridi
Cowes, England, United Kingdom
I am a Landscape Architect consultant based on the Isle of Wight but have travelled and worked across a variety of regions. I have a keen interest in biophillic design and sustainable design outcomes. I am also training as an eco-therapist as I believe that the set-up of ones immediate outdoor environment can play a vital role in overcoming mental health issues and influence general wellbeing through connecting to nature.
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Member
Forbes Davidson
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Member
David Wright
Balnarring (Melbourne), Victoria, Australia
An agent for systems change, advocacy, innovation and education about and for wellbeing and health for all. Illuminating, co-creating and cultivating vitality-enhanced, beneficial and holistic pathways for the wellbeing and health of me and we, place and planet. I show up daily with creativity and curiosity, an appreciation for beauty and excellence, hope and a zest for life. I use Quiet Leadership to shape my world, it starts with the smallest of daily things: our words, our thoughts, our actions about and for wellbeing and health for all. I champion the cause Planetary Intelligence, Bioregional Know-How & Place-Based Action in service of Wellbeing & Health of Me & We, Place & Planet.
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Member
Pascale Guiffant
Nantes, Pays-de-la-Loire, France
I am the co-founder of Open Lande, a social enterprise which goals is to support a regenerative economy. Open Land accompanies the transformation and innovation of organizations that wish to embrace the necessary ecological and social transitions, and supports impact entrepreneurs who invest in these issues. I am on the board of several organizations working in the field of the circular economy and access to essential services (Sanergy, Toilet Board Coalition) and teaches at Sciences Po Paris, AgroParis Tech and the University of Versailles Saint Quentin. Previously, I was Deputy Director of Sustainable Development for the SUEZ Group and led several programs based on the inclusive economy, including the international program "Water for All" which has helped to develop access to water and sanitation for millions of people in several megacities.
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Member
Lydia Shearer
Seattle, Washington, United States of America
I'm interested in doing my part to build the kind of future society, local and global, that values life, resources, and the planet we all share. I'm passionate about access, equity, using data to understand complex problems, and using systems-thinking to solve said complex problems. I value our shared planet and am committed to doing what I can to make this planet habitable for all life forms to thrive in a sustainable manner.
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Member
Nicolas Rode
Berlin, Deutschland
Nicolas Rode holds a French-German diploma in European policy from the IEP Lille and the University of Münster. His research focused on the Europeanisation of trade unions and migrant workers. In order to add a broader international aspect to his research, he moved to Canada and joined the master program “Immigration and Settlement Studies” at the Ryerson University, Toronto. He wrote his M.A. thesis on international human mobility. Back in Europe in 2009, Nicolas worked as a consultant in European industrial relations for six years, focusing on restructuring processes and HR development. Since 2016, he has been working at the University of Potsdam as a transfer advisor. Currently he manages the Potsdam Transfer project Inno-UP, short for “Innovative University Potsdam”.
