NUDC07 Theme and Keynotes
Public space has always been the venue for human interaction, and the fascination
of architects, planners and urban designers concerning the physical and sociological
aspects. For centuries creative minds have shaped, morphed, transformed, developed,
resurrected, created, studied and challenged the users of public spaces in cities
and explored the effects on public life, surrounding structures, commercial life
and cultural management. Though various methods have been used to comprehend the
public domain, they are broadly similar regardless country, culture, decade or
profession. Concerns about good infrastructure, accessibility, legibility, form
and high-quality urban insertion have always been central, regardless of the method
used to enhance public space and public life.
The public domain of the 21st century can no longer simply be regarded as streets,
plazas, the relationship between structure, space and people, or spaces between
buildings. The technology of our time challenges the democratic use of public
spaces: it challenges our conception of what and how public space is to be understood,
used and shaped. The complexity of material and immaterial spaces has emerged
parallel to new technological advances, raising the question: what is the contemporary
public space and what form will the future public domain take?
The complexity of cities has engaged a cultural shift of paradigm that favors
more “event culture”, highly emphasised through the insertion of urban screens
and contemporary public spaces as i.e. Federation Square in Melbourne. The technological
development is part of the future growth and inevitable becoming an important
companion to people. We do not live with the mobile phone; we live the mobile
phone. We do not live with the internet; we are living the internet. We are interacting
more and more uncritical with digital media communication, becoming more and more
addicted to online living and experiences, craving for more information. The balance
between real life and media reality is becoming blurred which shapes our daily
life from the minute we turn on our mobile phone in the morning and become online.
"Guy Debord already foresaw “the society of the spectacle” in 1967. In the growing
international competition among cities often the focus lies on tourism or the
citizen as consumer. City marketing and urban management strategies are applied
to create a vision of “creative cities”. Cities are in the struggle against the
"feeling of placelesness" caused by the spread of international architecture and
brand-shops."
Mirjam Struppek - www.urbanscreens.org
In this context, the use of urban screens is rapidly becoming more dominant to
generate active public spaces. Cities with lifeless spaces are vitalised with
big screens, transmitting concerts, sports and other cultural events. Virtual
communication is becoming a strong indicator of future trends, and of how public
spaces of the contemporary city can respond to commercial forces. It is inevitable
that technology will define our future conception of the public domain, and even
change the democratic use of public spaces. Urban screens and media-architecture
clearly define public spaces as “event spaces” similar to the traditional market
place. The challenge is how urban designers, architects, planners and others deal
with this issue, especially in the future transformation of public spaces and
interaction with public life. "Cities experience an increased growth of invisible
information-spheres where the air is full of electromagnetic flows of data exchange".
This creates invisible and virtual public spaces where communication now is not
only the interaction between people, but wireless through sms, mms, and the use
of laptops and mobile phones. The rapid expansion of wireless internet has already
changed the pattern of use among city people, making public spaces at the same
time more mobile and, as a paradox, more static.
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