A new tool developed by the digital innovation team at Arup explores the urban fabric through shared stories and ideas from the community.
July 15th, 2011
The Invisible Landscape is a new initiative from Arup revealing the history and future possibilities of a space through public interaction.
Melburnians are invited to walk the city, identifying their favourite trees and green spaces, exploring the landscape and thinking about where they’d like to see change.
An online interactive map and mobile app then allows them to plot their thoughts – upload a photo of their favourite tree, share a story about the city, or suggest where they’d like to see change.
It’s an extension of the traditional process of community consultation, engaging the public in a new format and harnessing the power of social media.
“It’s about valuing what already is there, but also encouraging people to think about what could be there,” says Andrew Maher, Leader of Digital Innovation at Arup.
The project follows a conversation Arup had with the City of Melbourne about the preservation of green spaces in the city.
“A lot of the time people get upset about trees only at the point where the trees are about to be removed,” Maher explains.
“We thought it would be fantastic to have a conversation or allow people to engage and tell stories about things they love.
The City of Melbourne can then tap into this. They’re trying to put value to what they call ’green infrastructure’, but how do they value those things? Can they put a financial value to them? This is more about the social value.”
The Invisible Landscape officially launches on Saturday 16 July and runs throughout the State of Design festival from 20-31 July. The comments, images and stories collected will be available to view via the Invisible Landscape website.
The initiative has much potential for engaging and gathering public opinion.
“If this works really well then we can start to think about how to use these tools more broadly,” says Maher.
Arup
arup.com
INDESIGN is on instagram
Follow @indesignlive
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
XTRA celebrates the distinctive and unexpected work of Magis in their Singapore showroom.
Schneider Electric’s new range are making bulky outlets a thing of the past with the new UNICA X collection.
In this candid interview, the culinary mastermind behind Singapore’s Nouri and Appetite talks about food as an act of human connection that transcends borders and accolades, the crucial role of technology in preserving its unifying power, and finding a kindred spirit in Gaggenau’s reverence for tradition and relentless pursuit of innovation.
To honour Chef James Won’s appointment as Gaggenau’s first Malaysian Culinary Partner, we asked the gastronomic luminaire about parallels between Gaggenau’s ethos and his own practice, his multidimensional vision of Modern Malaysian – and how his early experiences of KFC’s accessible, bold flavours influenced his concept of fine dining.
The Mia Couch from Studio Dossier is a relaxed seating option that works wonderfully in both residential and commercial spaces.
The newest hospitality offering in Sydney is an outrageous affair that marries heritage with play-time, we sent Benjamen Judd to explore
A Mexican studio is designing buildings that are relevant to the rural communities they are being built for. Susanne Kennedy investigated.
Walking down Danks street, Waterloo seemed like it was the centre of all things fine, delicate and oh-so-fancy! Whether it’s the best in high-quality oak, enviable bathroom fitouts, or even just the indulgence of contemporary European furniture, SID17’s Waterloo precinct spoke to our dreams, desires and aspirations.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Buchan has rewritten the rules on how to design a library, overhauling the traditional interiors and meagre façade, with their iteration of the Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library.
BREWTOWN in Shenzhen reimagines the brewing process, transforming it into a spatial experience that blends the elements of beer production with the modern energy of the city.