In the course Visualizing Complexity, led by Professor Tore Gulden as part of the Master’s programme in Design in Complexity at OsloMet, students explored complex societal challenges through systems-oriented design and GigaMapping. Engaging with the REDUCE project one of the resulting student projects investigates the environmental and societal implications of artificial turf pitches that use recycled tire rubber as infill, revealing the intricate network of actors, materials, policies, and environmental processes involved.
At first glance, artificial turf appears to be a straightforward solution that provides durable, low-maintenance sports facilities. However, the GigaMap demonstrates that behind every football pitch lies a highly interconnected system involving waste management, recycling, public health, environmental protection, sports organisations, municipalities, manufacturers, regulations, and users.
The project traces the lifecycle of tire rubber from end-of-life vehicle tires to crumb rubber used as infill on sports pitches. While this practice has long been promoted as a circular solution that gives discarded tires a second life, the map also highlights its unintended consequences. As pitches are used, rubber granules migrate into surrounding environments through players’ clothing and shoes, drainage systems, maintenance activities, wind, and snow removal, contributing to the growing problem of microplastic pollution.
Rather than presenting a simple argument for or against artificial turf, the students visualise the competing values and interests that shape decision-making. Artificial pitches increase access to sports by allowing year-round use and reducing maintenance compared with natural grass. At the same time, environmental concerns, emerging regulations, public debates, and uncertainty about long-term ecological impacts create tensions between sustainability goals and the practical needs of sports clubs and municipalities.
The GigaMap also illustrates the many stakeholders involved in the issue, including tire manufacturers, artificial turf producers, municipalities, football clubs, environmental agencies, researchers, policymakers, maintenance providers, and local communities. By mapping their relationships, the students reveal that decisions about artificial turf extend far beyond the design of the pitch itself.
Another key theme is regulation and innovation. The map situates the issue within evolving European and national policies aimed at reducing intentionally added microplastics while also highlighting efforts to develop alternative infill materials, improve containment systems, and rethink pitch design. Rather than focusing solely on material substitution, the project encourages a broader examination of how sports infrastructure can be redesigned to balance environmental, social, and economic considerations.
As with the other GigaMaps produced during the course, this project moves beyond identifying problems to revealing opportunities for intervention. These include improving maintenance practices to reduce granule loss, developing alternative materials, strengthening regulations, redesigning pitch infrastructure, increasing stakeholder collaboration, and considering how future sports facilities can be planned within a more circular and environmentally responsible system.
The project demonstrates the value of GigaMapping as both an analytical and generative design method. By making visible the relationships, feedback loops, and trade-offs within a complex socio-technical system, the map enables a deeper understanding of a challenge that cannot be solved through a single technological fix.
Ultimately, the GigaMap shows that artificial turf is not simply a question of sports infrastructure or recycled materials. It is a systems challenge where environmental protection, circular economy ambitions, public health, policy, and recreational needs intersect. Through systems-oriented design, the students reveal how visualising these connections can support more informed discussions and more sustainable decisions.