We begin with knowledge. The practice of integrating science and design is an intentional process in which environmental scientists, community stakeholders, and decision-makers work collaboratively to develop informed analyses and scenarios via joint consideration of the social, ecological, and political contexts of an environmental and/or planning-related problem.

Followed by process. Most issues confronting science, design, and planning are boundary-spanning and require a collaborative and cross-disciplinary mode of study if we have any hope of enhancing the resilience of social-environmental systems.

And shaped by form. Science, planning, and design are integrally connected. How can design thinking as a practice inform science and vice versa? Communication across professional boundaries is critical. Key to this is understanding the complexity of how these different disciplines interact to shape our communities and the ability to bring people together to communicate this complexity and help articulate a common goal informed by knowledge.