Alongside UTV’s core business of delivering value for our diverse clients’ activations in public space, UTV is an internationally recognised thought leader in the interdisciplinary field of Digital Placemaking.

What is Digital Placemaking?

Digital Placemaking is the strategic deployment of technology to support, enhance, or accelerate community participation in public place. It is a collaborative practice, intended to strengthen community connection in a range of different environments.

In practical terms, it is the installation or utilisation of digital technologies in public space to enhance culture; facilitate urban regeneration programs; deliver education and cultural events; promote public participation and the democratisation of public space.

These technological approaches can include non-commercial urban screens; publicly accessible network infrastructure; interactive installations; augmented reality and location based content; integrated social media strategies; media architecture; responsive lighting; projection mapping and other permanent or temporary interactive or media installations – as long as they ultimately support greater community connection between people in their shared public spaces.

In all cases the technology must be deployed appropriately and in this context includes being accompanied by a well considered strategic vision and necessary ongoing resource support where required. Most importantly the solution should positively support the aspirations of the proposed placemaking and community building objectives it is intended for.

Publications

New Media Facades – A Global Survey – Media Architecture Compendium – Digital Placemaking

Theory Culture & Society – Mega Screens for Mega Cities

Recent Projects

UNSW – Digital Strategy and O Week Tactical Activation

UTV consulted to UNSW on the development of the digital places component of their ten-year strategic vision for the World Class Environments team. This project was preceded by an initial consultancy a year earlier, which was a feasibility study for the implementation of screens on campus. We consulted to UNSW primarily on digital placemaking strategies, some of the early activations for UNSW were around O Week. As part of this project we developed a walking tour using augmented reality project for new students to view location based historical stories of UNSW’s Kensington Campus.

ARC Grant – ‘Using participatory urban media to foster smart cities and the creative and cultural industries’

In conjunction with UNSW we applied for an ARC Linkage Grant for research into the use of digital media in public space and how to use digital space by connecting communities. The application proposal was completed and submitted in October 2013. The grant was to be administered over a three to five year period starting in January 2015. Partners included Sydney University, Bruce Ramus (www.ramus.com.au, Michelle Tabet from ARUP Engineering and Lend Lease. The principle coordinator for the project was Yang Lei from the China Millennium Monument Museum of Digital Art (CmODA). We were also involved in the initial stages of the first ARC Linkage Grant to Melbourne University around public screens.

Henry Halloran Trust Urban Planning Research Project

Large digital screens, also known as urban screens, are increasingly prevalent across today’s cities dispersing into everyday urban spaces such as public squares and cultural precincts. The Federation Square screen is a well-known example that is used to establish the character of the precinct, engaging audiences in shared activities such as the screening of live events.

Local governments and urban planners increasingly attempt to implement the “Federation Square effect” in new Australian developments aiming to create a sense of place and add long-term social, cultural and economic value for citizens who live and work in those precincts. For example, the recently completed “The Concourse” precinct in Chatswood features a large screen and new developments such as Barangaroo and the Gold Coast Cultural Precinct involve proposals for urban screens that flank public sites.

The challenge implementing urban screens in new developments is ensuring they respond appropriately to the physical and socio-cultural environment in which they are placed. Attempts to recreate the Federation Square model have had limited success, largely due to a lack of interdisciplinary consultation during implementation. Typically in such developments the architect or builder hand over the screen to the precinct owner, without providing a long-term strategy for how the screen can be used to successfully engage local citizens.

With research funding from the Henry Halloran Trust for urban planning research, UTV partnered with our university partners at UNSW, UNSW Art and Design, University of Sydney and Queensland University of Technology in a 12-month research project to explore interactive methodologies aimed at achieving more effective audience engagement.

Australia-China Council Grant: Connecting City Life and Culture in China and Australia through Media Architecture

This project delivered two media architecture installations, one in Beijing (China) and one in Sydney (Australia). The installations will hopefully take the form of 2x2m media façade sculptures. Their digital content will connect people in one city to life and culture in the other city. Both installations will be designed through a collaborative process involving Chinese and Australian students, universities, and industry partners. For this purpose we will hold four workshops with students in Beijing and Sydney. The outcome will be exhibited at the Media Architecture Biennale 2016 in Sydney and the Beijing Design Week in 2016.