12.03 – Vienna University of Technology – Parklets in Vienna. This talk explored the origin of parklets and its evolution to a global phenomenon. From a small intervention in San Francisco, now cities actively try to engage citizens in the transformation of their own neighborhood. The talk will explore which is the regulatory framework in Vienna and which design opportunities can be still be explored in the city.
21.01 – Nanyang Technological University – What can media do for the City? How can we use digital displays and media to connect people, engage communities, and re-activate public spaces? This talk will explore the topic through examples from around the world collected over the last decade. Additionally it will show experiences with the installation and operation of a Media Facade in Vienna, discussing the opportunities but also the challenges that come with such projects.
2018
06.11 Future Cities Lab Singapore – Citizen participation: Can technology break the bottleneck? Can we dream about dynamic cities, where people can easily book, use and transform public spaces? Can technology bring the tools that enable such dynamics? Since the apparition of fix my street a growing number of services are being implemented in different cities. Problem reporting, discussion forums and idea platforms are established formats that are being developed and deployed in cities across the globe. This talk will explore some of the existing technologies for citizen participation, the methods that they offer to citizens but also the unexplored opportunities that such technologies can bring to cities and citizens. Citizen participation might lead to contradictory results, however without popular support some measures can not be implemented. Within this context technology can provide tools that help people see the city in a different way and steer the overall development in more sustainable ways.
2017
30.11 7th GeoIT Wherecamp Conference 2017 – Pop up Parklets! The role of technology in city-making – Over the last few years, informal interventions spontaneously initiated by citizens have become increasingly popular. “Guerrilla”, “tactical”, “pop-up” and “DIY” urbanism are some of the terms coined to describe this trend. The city of Vienna has authorized the installation of parklets in many of the city’s parking places. There are, however, some limitations that should be taken into consideration when installing parklets. The understanding of such limitations can be simplified using open data and network technologies. By allowing people to explore their urban space with a whole new filter, namely that of opportunities to intervene and create playful experiences in the city, it is possible to encourage citizens to become active in their neighborhoods and start transformation processes at the local level.
2014
21.07 Media Architecture Biennale 2014 – Workshop Mapping Media Layers – The installation of media facades, screens, video projectors, the use of smart-phones, and new strategies adopted by traditional media and shops are flooding the everyday life of cities with all sorts of content. Put together, such technologies constitute a new infrastructure, a media layer sometimes subtly integrated into the city and sometimes in open conflict with the urban space. We conceive this workshop as a smart citizen lab, where the participants will explore the perception of this layer and how it relates to the elements of different cities.