article posted Aug 24 09 by Rush Dhillon and Jot Kali
The Future Space : Combining Social Networking with an Urban Public Square
Public squares serve as a gathering place for the community. They provide people with the opportunity to share common interests, a quiet space, or a place to discover new events and ideas. Much the same, modern technologies, such as online networks and mobile devices, have brought people together albeit in a much different medium. However, these technologies have been criticized for keeping people apart as often as they have been commended for connecting people. The Future Space Public Square proposes to unite the traditional and physical attributes of the town square with the novel attributes of electronic social networking. The square itself will act as a network hub to draw people into the area and its various activities while honoring traditional uses.
A Gathering Space. Public and Private Areas with Meeting Seating Pods
The future space public square incorporates traditional public square amenities, such as distributed seating areas, grassed areas, gathering point landmarks, and a larger staging area. Uniquely it also focuses on a large video screen. This would display community and city information. Online social networking has become a phenomenon because it allows small groups to find each other. We would bring this concept to the Public Square by allowing individuals to send text messages to the square to suggest meeting time and place. These gatherings would show up on the large screen, but also be sent to mobile devices and on social networking sites where the public square would have a presence. Individuals could subscribe to notifications on mobile devices if their interests match particular meeting events.
The Future Space Public Square has unique sitting pods scattered throughout the area. They are circular benches with an outside public seating area, the inside is also accessible and promotes small gatherings. Each pod is identified numerically, which serves as a marker on where to meet for small gatherings.
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2
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1. Seating Pod. Distributed throughout square. Marked to match small group meeting suggestions posted to screen.
2. Inside reserved for meeting groups.
3. Outside for general seating.
Example of Urban Square Combining Social Networking
As an example, if Albert thought a small club of Vietnamese Pho soup enthusiasts would be a good idea, he could send a text message to a number belonging to the square : Pho fans of Vancouver unite ! Join me to find the best Pho in Vancouver. First meeting at Future Space Public Square Pod 3 at 3pm Sunday. This message would show up on the Public Square social networking page, and on the big screen in the square. Frank is going to Victory Square Park to sit and eat lunch, and decides to see what is happening on Sunday, so he walks to the Public Square screen and is excited to see there are Pho fans, and notes when to meet. Susan has her break at work, and notices her mobile phone Future Space Public Square application has a message. She reads it, and since she previously noted her likes include Vietnamese food, it shows her the Pho message and when to attend the get together. This example shows how the social networking aspect promotes the square usage.
SUMMARY
Rich social interactions do not only come from large sanctioned events, but primarily from small social circles. This can include friendship circles or gatherings of like minded individuals. The purpose of Future Space Public Square is to promote these gatherings, without taking away from what makes a traditional square work. It also brings the Square into current social online realities, actively promoting social interaction and Public Square usage.
Article by Rush Dhillon and Jot Kali
