In tackling the complex challenges of our world, we must come together across political, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries to collaborate and cooperate. Without this, stalemates or competing motives can block progress or create maladaptive responses. Complex concepts can develop into conversations where diverse actors arrive at a challenge with different and sometimes conflicting practical and personal knowledge and values that can create barriers to collaborative problem solving. In this working paper, the authors argue that art and creative communications can provide the bridge we need to overcome such barriers.

The authors argue that art and creative communications, as discussed in this working paper, provide a pathway to engage and inspire action of communities, planners, and policy makers, and is an area for continued investment, research, and experimentation.