Das SMOTIES-Netzwerk ist eine Partnerschaft von zehn Designhochschulen, Forschungszentren, Kreativagenturen und nationalen Verbänden. Jeder Partner wählte einen kleinen, abgelegenen Ort in seinem Land aus, der von der Gestaltung kultureller und kreativer Regeneration im öffentlichen Raum und in Zusammenarbeit mit lokalen Akteuren profitieren soll. Das Projekt ist Teil des Human-Cities-Netzwerks, einer Plattform für den interdisziplinären Austausch, die sich mit der Verbesserung der Lebensqualität öffentlicher Innen- und Außenräume befasst und durch partizipatives Design innovative Prozesse für den sozialen Zusammenhalt anstößt. Mit Beiträgen von: Michael Dumiak, Independent reporter and editor Valentina Auricchio PhD, associate professor, Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano Elisa Bertolotti PhD, assistant professor of Communication Design, Art and Design Department, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Madeira Beatriz Bonilla Berrocal, PhD candidate, Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano Helen Charoupia Researcher, Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering within Complex Systems and Service Design Lab, University of the Aegean Alexandra Coutsoucos, Research fellow, Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano Annalinda De Rosa PhD, researcher, Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano Davide Fassi PhD, full professor, Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano Susana Gonzaga PhD, assistant professor, Art and Design Department, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Madeira Nina Gorsič, Architect and researcher, urban renewal, cultural heritage and accessibility, Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia Frank van Hasselt, Chief executive, Clear Village Astrid Lelarge, Historian of urban planning, Alternance Architecture and Urban Planning, assistant professor, Faculty of Planning and Design, Agricultural University of Iceland Vanessa Monna, Post-doc research fellow, Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano Chiara Nifosì, PhD, assistant professor of Urban Planning, Department of Architecture and Urban Studies, Politecnico di Milano Matej Niksič, Architect, urban planner, lecturer in urban design, Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia Cristina Renzoni, PhD, associate professor of Urban Planning, Department of Architecture and Urban Studies, Politecnico di Milano Anwar Samara, Student of Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture, University of Ljubljana Noemi Satta, Independent consultant and expert in cultural innovation and strategic and participatory planning Isabelle Vérilhac, Strategic designer, founder of Design With Isabelle

Despite developments in urban design during the last few decades, architects, urban planners and designers often continue to produce areas of bland, commercially led urban fabric that deliver the basic functional requirements of shelter, work and leisure but are socially unsustainable and likely generators of future problems. Convivial Urban Spaces demonstrates that successful urban public spaces are an essential part of a sustainable built environment. Without them we are likely to drift into an increasingly private and polarized society, with all the problems that would imply. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, this book draws on research, and the literature and theory of environmental psychology and urban design, to advance our understanding of what makes effective public spaces. Practical guidance is illustrated with case studies from the UK, Spain, Germany and Italy. The result is a practical and clearly presented guide to urban public space for planners, architects and students of the urban environment.

COVID-19 has accelerated the digitalisation of working and social interactions. Global lockdowns to contain the pandemic have forced firms and workers to perform a wide range of daily functions through virtual means. This has led to greater uptake and acceptance of remote working, which will likely remain in the post-pandemic scenario.

Mobile phones are no longer what they used to be. Not only can users connect to the Internet anywhere and anytime, they can also use their devices to map their precise geographic coordinates – and access location-specific information like restaurant reviews, historical information, and locations of other people nearby. The proliferation of location-aware mobile technologies calls for a new understanding of how we define public spaces, how we deal with locational privacy, and how networks of power are developed today. In Mobile Interfaces in Public Spaces, Adriana de Souza E. Silva and Jordan Frith examine these social and spatial changes by framing the development of location-aware technology within the context of other mobile and portable technologies such as the book, the Walkman, the iPod, and the mobile phone. These technologies work as interfaces to public spaces – that is, as symbolic systems that not only filter information but also reshape communication relationships and the environment in which social interaction takes place. Yet rather than detaching people from their surroundings, the authors suggest that location-aware technologies may ultimately strengthen our connections to locations.

Discover magical, remote locations around the world, from Africa to the Arctic, that will help you disconnect from modern life and enter a state of wonder. Silence. Calm. Open spaces. These are the new luxuries. In this turbulent era it has become ever more crucial to disconnect and slow down. Remote Places to Stay shares 22 out-of-the-way places where you can get off the grid and reconnect to the essentials, surrounded by raw pristine nature. Some of these remote places are only accessible by foot, others by train, small boat, or bush plane--but they are all places with a very strong sense of space. From lavish to spare architecture, from the Arctic to the desert landscapes of Africa, from a peaceful retreat in the Himalayas to a secret convent in the south of Italy, each exceptional retreat has been carefully selected to inspire and spark a state of wonder. Exploring the pages of Remote Places to Stay is a visual journey you will never forget.

There have been numerous possible scenarios depicted on the impact of the internet on urban spaces. Considering ubiquitous/pervasive computing, mobile, wireless connectivity and the acceptance of the Internet as a non-extraordinary part of our everyday lives mean that physical urban space is augmented, and digital in itself. This poses new problems as well as opportunities to those who have to deal with it. This book explores the intersection and articulation of physical and digital environments and the ways they can extend and reshape a spirit of place. It considers this from three main perspectives: the implications for the public sphere and urban public or semi-public spaces; the implications for community regeneration and empowerment; and the dilemmas and challenges which the augmentation of space implies for urbanists. Grounded with international real -life case studies, this is an up-to-date, interdisciplinary and holistic overview of the relationships between cities, communities and high technologies.

Public space and street design in commercial districts can dictate the success or failure of walkable community centers. Instead of focusing our efforts on designing new “compact town centers,” many of which are located in the suburbs, we should instead be revitalizing existing authentic town centers. This informative, practical book describes methods for restoring the health and vibrancy of the streets and public spaces of our existing commercial districts in ways that will make them positive alternatives to suburban sprawl while respecting their historic character. Clearly written and with numerous photos to enhance the text, Creating Vibrant Public Spaces uses examples from communities across the United States to illustrate the potential for restoring the balance provided by older urban centers between automobile access and “walkability.” In advice that can be applied to a variety of settings and scales, Crankshaw describes the tenets of contemporary design theory, how to understand the physical evolution of towns, how to analyze existing conditions, and how to evaluate the feasibility of design recommendations. Good design in commercial centers, Crankshaw contends, facilitates movement and access, creates dynamic social spaces, and contributes to the sense of a “center”—a place where social, commercial, and institutional interaction is more vibrant than in surrounding districts. For all the talk of creating new “green” urban spaces, the ingredients of environmentally aware design, he points out, can often be found in the deteriorating cores and neighborhoods of towns and cities across the United States. With creativity, planning, and commitment, these centers can thrive again, adding to the quality of local life and contributing to the local economy, too.