A 01 is a multidisciplinary network organization -created by A company (Costa Rica) and A foundation (The Netherlands) together with their project specific partners-, operating within the fields of urban and rural development.
According to American anthropologist Levi Strauss, people used to establish a world vision based on opposite binaries.
In our globally urbanizing culture though, the dichotomies of urban and rural divide, public and private domain, rich and poor, a house and home, the high and the low tech, or the developed and the developing world seem to be dissolving. The city as we know it has been atomized. Spatial transformations have produced a new condition for which we have as yet no adequate models of perception and representation. This complex situation results in a multitude of factors that need to be taken into account in order to allow for planning solutions that are supported and appropriated by clients and target populations.
Our work methodology has been designed to allow for multiple, non-hierarchical entry and exit points. We intend to break the boundaries of a single profession or perspective in order to allow for a holistic approach to shape our products. We aim at social equity, local capacity building and empowerment, the creation of knowledge, opportunity and alliances. We envision an integral sustainable development that improves the living conditions of people without compromising the capacity of future generations or people in other regions. Integral sustainability refers to a long-term impact that involves more than just economic growth, as it requires an equal social development and a responsible use of natural resources.