Digital placemaking
Think about a public space that genuinely delights you.
For me, I think about the time I chanced upon a community arts project in my local neighbourhood. Playful, interactive pieces in an open space, amidst a crowd of meandering uncles and aunties.
Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and activation of public spaces.
It draws upon the anthropological concept of a space (objective, measured, scientific) versus a place (meaningful, cultural, experiential).
Basically, placemaking turns empty public spaces into memorable places.
How does it achieve that? There are a few ways.
- Using the arts and culture
- Collaborating with the community
- Masterplanning
In the last two years however, as people retreated into their homes, placemaking has slowed down.
But what about placemaking on the internet?
What does a “place” feel like when it is preceded by a “www”?
A possible approach to digital placemaking can draw upon the methodology described above
- Use culture as a means as well as an end: creating online spaces through an artistic, not scientific lens, and recognising patterns of behavior as culturally-defining.
- Collaborating with a community of users: Creating opportunities for individuals to contribute and shape the elements in the space.
- Masterplanning with meticulous detail: Places don’t happen by accident; digital placemakers need to see how an online space connects with the ones around it and plan into the future.
Done well, we can use digital placemaking to enhance and engage, without falling into the exploitative “addiction” that most platforms leverage on.
The challenge is exactly the same as traditional placemaking: avoiding gimmicks, convincing stakeholders, and dealing with uncertainty.
