Monday, December 14, 2015 1:00 pm
-
1:00 pm
EST (GMT -05:00)
Of
the
thesis
entitled:ÌýSpacebook:ÌýNetworked
Public
Places
in
the
Personalized
Metropolis
Ìý
Abstract:
Today’s
society
is
moreÌýconnected
than
ever;
we
have
constant
access
to
information,
to
communication,Ìýand
to
various
forms
of
social
media.
Ubiquitous
mobile
computing
hasÌýsignificantly
changed
the
public
realm
in
a
way
thatÌýcannot
be
ignored.ÌýSocializing
no
longer
relies
on
face-to-face
interaction,
and
instead,
vastÌýquantities
of
people’s
social
lives
unfold
online
via
virtual
platforms
such
asÌýFacebook,
WeChat,
or
Instagram.
These
virtual
spaces
have
joinedÌýparks,
plazas,Ìýand
streets
as
spaces
of
public
communication
and
interaction.
However,
theseÌýspaces
create
new
questions
of
privatization
and
segregation,
and
may
erode
theÌýpublic
sphere
as
much
as
they
extend
it.
Online
discourse
canÌýbe
controlled
andÌýcustomized,
allowing
citizens
to
voluntarily
segregate
themselves
with
peopleÌýto
whom
they
are
similar.
This
thesis
suggests
that
physical
public
space
needsÌýto
function
as
spaces
that
bring
people
of
differenceÌýtogether:
a
role
that
isÌýcrucial
to
the
health
of
our
multicultural
metropolises.ÌýSpacebook:ÌýNetworked
Public
Places
in
the
Personalized
MetropolisÌýembracesÌýinformation
technologies
as
public
resources,
and
suggests
a
set
of
urbanÌýpublic
space
interventions
that
use
interactive
and
sentient
technologies
toÌýlocate
the
network
in
physical
spaces.
As
an
attempt
to
counteract
theÌýsegregation
and
privatization
of
the
public
sphere,
these
new
spaces
encourageÌýgreaterÌýuser
participation
and
agency
in
public
space.
In this research, two components of the public sphere wereÌýexamined: virtual networks and physical public spaces. Physical public spacesÌýwere discovered as having been privatized through a number of policies ofÌýownership andÌýregulation. Virtual social networks were examined at two scales.ÌýThe first explores these networks at the scale of the individual; in an attemptÌýto understand the spatial implications of social networks, the second partÌýexplores theÌýnetworks at the scale of the metropolis. This research proposesÌýthat we have produced a new condition, where the city is augmented and expandedÌýby the individual’s networks, forming a personalized metropolis.
SpacebookÌýproposes a set of public spaces,ÌýcalledÌýNetworked Public Places, which localize theÌýglobal networks, and turn them into an interactive collective experience. NPPsÌýare a set of interfaces operating at the border between onlineÌýand physical publicÌýspaces. NPPs do not completely transform the public realm, but instead offerÌýprovocations for a way that architecture and information technologies can comeÌýtogether to benefit the public sphere. By embracingÌýinformation as a publicÌýresource and asking what should (and can) be shared,ÌýSpacebookÌýsuggests a beginning of a more participatory and open public realm.
Ìý
In this research, two components of the public sphere wereÌýexamined: virtual networks and physical public spaces. Physical public spacesÌýwere discovered as having been privatized through a number of policies ofÌýownership andÌýregulation. Virtual social networks were examined at two scales.ÌýThe first explores these networks at the scale of the individual; in an attemptÌýto understand the spatial implications of social networks, the second partÌýexplores theÌýnetworks at the scale of the metropolis. This research proposesÌýthat we have produced a new condition, where the city is augmented and expandedÌýby the individual’s networks, forming a personalized metropolis.
SpacebookÌýproposes a set of public spaces,ÌýcalledÌýNetworked Public Places, which localize theÌýglobal networks, and turn them into an interactive collective experience. NPPsÌýare a set of interfaces operating at the border between onlineÌýand physical publicÌýspaces. NPPs do not completely transform the public realm, but instead offerÌýprovocations for a way that architecture and information technologies can comeÌýtogether to benefit the public sphere. By embracingÌýinformation as a publicÌýresource and asking what should (and can) be shared,ÌýSpacebookÌýsuggests a beginning of a more participatory and open public realm.
Ìý
The
examining
committee
is
as
follows:
Ìý
Ìý
Co-Supervisors:
Mona El Khafif,ÌýUniversity of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ​
MayaÌýPrzybylski,
University
ofÌýÀ¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
Ìý
Ìý
CommitteeÌýMember:
Ila
Berman,
University
of
À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
Ìý
Ìý
External Reader:
Jordan Geiger, University ofÌýBuffaloÌý
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Ìý
Monday
December
14,
2015
1:00PM
BRIDGE
Centre
for
Architecture
+
Design
-Ìý37
Main
St,
CambridgeÌý
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.