Situated Technologies Design Experiments in Mapping Public Spaces

Abstract

Digital technologies are increasingly distributed throughout the city environments, these technologies are often deployed by companies and governments without an understanding of their impact on public space and society. Notwithstanding the substantial impact of these technologies, architects and urban designers seem to lack the tools to critically engage with them and integrate them in design practices. Presented research seeks to establish a common ground, exchanging design approaches and terminology, between the disciplines of engineering technology and architecture. Exploration of these knowledge gaps uncovers the mutual lack of understanding in overlapping design contexts and proposes collaboration with the aim to extend the architectural design tool-box and generate spatial qualities. Through discussing several case studies we focus on what role design can play in an interdisciplinary project. In addition to describing their context, stakeholders and outcomes, the paper highlights how each case might contribute to developing a DDR methodology within the framework of the PhD.

Keywords: Public Space, Toolbox, Mapping