Mediated Cityscapes

Greg J. Smith

photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/krazyd/6221566091

Transborder Immigrant Tool, 2009

Ricardo Dominguez, Brett Stalbaum, Amy Sara Carroll, Micha Crdenas & Elle Mehrmand

photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericparker/6175156149

A rough agenda:
1 Define mediated cityscapes (we are doing this now!) 2 Carefully consider how ubiquitous computing and the data layer influence how we represent and interact with the city. 3 Review some related supervised student work

Urban form/experience has always been tethered to technology

Left: Telegraph office & Man with a Movie Camera Right: illustration from Des Fortifications

Distributed computation/data repositories

OpenStreetMap as geospatial data commons

openstreetmap.org

Immaterials: light painting WiFi, 2011

Timo Arnall, Jrn Knutsen & Einar Sneve Martinussen

Chromaroma, 2010Chromaroma.com

Mediated Cityscapes are:

1 Activated by context-aware computing, hybridity between virtual and physical spaces and allow us to amplify/annotate the city. (Galloway, 2003) 2 Re-present their environment in unique and novel ways that increase our awareness and insight. 3 Driven by artist/citizen/activist-designed platforms that promote new interactions and connectivity.

photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcbridejc/5487762933

Representation: schematizing urban space

Google streetview imagery for the Junction Triangle (my neighbourhood in Toronto)

Representational strategies:
1 Viewing machines 2 Time capsules 3 Giving agency to objects to reveal discrete narratives Some caution: 1 All maps/visualizations (of space) are political

The Impossibility of Understanding in the Path of a Torontonian, 2010

Tori Foster

Berlin Wall 3D, 2010Hoppala & Superimpose

Trash Track, 2009

SENSEable City Laboratory

All maps and visualizations (of space) are political

Microsofts recent pedestrian route production patent

All representations are malleable

1760 plan of Paris by Vaugondy (Baron Haussmanns renovation)

Interaction: changing the rules of engagement

photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephanemontel/6780026508

Tuning interactions:
1 Programmatic inversion 2 DIY regulation 3 Countervaillance Some caution: 1 The stakes are high!

Friluftskino - Experiments in open-air surveillance cinema, 2007

Michelle Teran

BKME.ORG, 2011-

Martn Bravo, Alex Kozovski & Fred Truman

Sukey, 2011-

Sam Gaus & Sam Carlisle

Lowest common denominator media architecture

photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lt_paris/6163433285

Lowest common denominator citizenship

Left: photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/3979323453 Right: Dave Kemps Data Collection