A Public Space for the Digital Age

A Public Space for the Digital Age

Riether, Gernot

Full Article:

With Information Technology such as smart phones we use public urban space differently. For example prior to cell phones people would meet in a public space by agreeing on a specific meeting location and time. Using cell phones people meet more spontaneous. Cell phones also allow people to be engaged in a very private phone conversation in the middle of a public space. In spite of information technology creating new uses for public space urban planners are still relying on old paradigms in designing and constructing it. A workshop was formulated around the question: How can we design urban spaces for a digital culture? The achieved outcome of the workshop was the design and realization of a public space that addresses this challenge. To do that students were asked to come up with new functions for public spaces, test materials, help seeking for funding and creating partnerships with the city, the industry and nonprofit organizations. During the duration of a one-semester timeframe the studio was facing a series of challenges dealing with the design, fabrication and realization of an urban space. This paper will describe the challenges of designing urban spaces for a digital culture, the structure of the workshop, the interventions made during the process and the final project, an urban landscape titled “Urban Blanket” that was build in Midtown Atlanta.

With Information Technology such as smart phones we use public urban space differently. For example prior to cell phones people would meet in a public space by agreeing on a specific meeting location and time. Using cell phones people meet more spontaneous. Cell phones also allow people to be engaged in a very private phone conversation in the middle of a public space. In spite of information technology creating new uses for public space urban planners are still relying on old paradigms in designing and constructing it. A workshop was formulated around the question: How can we design urban spaces for a digital culture? The achieved outcome of the workshop was the design and realization of a public space that addresses this challenge. To do that students were asked to come up with new functions for public spaces, test materials, help seeking for funding and creating partnerships with the city, the industry and nonprofit organizations. During the duration of a one-semester timeframe the studio was facing a series of challenges dealing with the design, fabrication and realization of an urban space. This paper will describe the challenges of designing urban spaces for a digital culture, the structure of the workshop, the interventions made during the process and the final project, an urban landscape titled “Urban Blanket” that was build in Midtown Atlanta.

Palavras-chave:

DOI: 10.5151/despro-sigradi2016-766

Referências bibliográficas

• [1] McLhuan, M. (1964). Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man
• [2] Gabrys, J. (2010) Telepathically Human
• [3] Virilio, P. (2003) Art and Fear, London: Continuum
• [4] WABE, NPR Atlanta broadcasted 9:00am, June 25, 2015
• [5] http://news.wabe.org/post/urban-blanket-tech-square-encourages-social-interactionSubsections sample

Como citar:

Riether, Gernot; "A Public Space for the Digital Age", p-260-265. In: <strong>XX Congreso de la Sociedad Iberoamericana de Gráfica Digital [=Blucher Design Proceedings, v.3 n.1]</strong>. São Paulo: Blucher, 2016.
ISSN 23186968, DOI 10.5151/despro-sigradi2016-766