Liquid Spaces: Understanding of Urban Spatial Networks through the Human Data

Abstract

Today’s cities are changing faster than ever before, mainly because they have ability to produce spaces for everyone, but only when they are produced by everyone [1]. This phenomenon was even multiplied with enhanced informatisation and digitalisation. It would be wrong to perceive Smart City only as plain product of technological innovations. New markets are rising and new types of behaviour are emerging hand in hand with technological innovations [2]. Therefore technological innovations, mainly than enhanced communication and digitalisation change the habits of analogue civilisation towards more liquid spaces. Cities are forced to adapt to those changes in order to stay competitive. Therefore it seems that traditional planning reaches its limits and can’t fully address challenges produced by such change, which makes it unsustainable approach on the long term perspective. Project aims to develop set of tools and approaches towards creation of more liveable and resilient cities of 21. century by combining modern technologies, and humanocentric approach. Focus should be put on the research of relationship between the technological innovations (namely digitalisation and enhanced communication) and societal changes that transforms into material (urbanised) environment [3]. Understanding of urban spatial structures via gathering and analysing a new type of information about the city – the data – plays a key role in the research. As such, focus will be put on the analysis of urban structures through the online and offline participatory platform (Emotional maps), spatial footprint of the city (Master plan and field research), and segment analysis of the city’s structure (Space Syntax).