IN-PERSON: Livable Cities – New York
Abstract
Globally, we are living in an age of urbanisation, with over 50 per cent of people in the world now living in cities. Paradoxically, a potential side effect of this new universal mode of ‘living closer together’ is the loss of community and local character in our neighbourhoods. In the quest to find knowledge pertaining to a ‘sense of community’, clearly there’s a need to define a new place philosophy – that of ‘placemaking’ as ‘prelude to place’. Placemaking is an urban design sub-discipline applied in both existing and new urban neighbourhoods, responding to the evolving nature of the city.
Scope: This paper explores a unique Australian case study – U City, completed in 2019, a 20 story, ‘extreme mixed-use’ building in Adelaide (the only example of this typology in Australia and one of few globally), with a unique living creative culture. Investigations explore how the design of U City, particularly its urban design, public art and associated creative programmes in public spaces, influence placemaking and social engagement, fostering expression, belonging and a sense of place. Methods: Over this 3-year project we are collating data about building performance and user behaviours. Leveraging ‘post occupancy’ evaluation by a range of stakeholders – a first for Australian architects. This presentation focuses on a range of mixed-method (qualitative) data collected. Merging urban design, social and art theory through observation studies and creative/analytical urban mappings (a technique to analyse social, environmental and cultural opportunities, constraints, drivers etc). Supplemented by one-on-one interviews and working groups to explore the ‘value’ and /or role of art and culture in living communities to see what works, and what doesn’t?
Katie Miller is a PhD Candidate at the University of South Australia and a practicing Senior Architect/Urban Designer. With over a decade of professional experience, Katie has in-depth knowledge within the cross-disciplinary fields of architecture, planning/policy, urban design, landscape architecture, infrastructure, stakeholder engagement and project management. Her strengths include client and design roles, public art and stakeholder brief formulation, communication and inter-discipline team management. Irrespective of project, she strives to connect people and broader ideas to community.
Dr Helen Barrie is a Senior Research Fellow within the University of South Australia and Director of the Inclusion Stream of the Centre for Markets, Values and Inclusion. Helen has a PhD in Human Geography and a background in Social Policy. Helen’s research has a focus on Australia’s changing and ageing population and the implications of this for society and communities. Much of this work involves an examination of population diversity; the interaction between people and the built environment; housing, community connectedness, and social networks.
Dr Debbie Faulkner is co executive director of the Centre for Markets, Values and Inclusion at Uni SA Business. Debbie is a human social geographer with expertise in the areas of housing and ageing, age care, social participation and the well-being of older people and the housing of at risk groups in the community. Debbie’s work is focussed and grounded in research that aims to raise awareness about the impact of policy on the community and to work towards positive change that results in improvements in people’s lives. Debbie has a long history of working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders.
Dr Ning Gu is a Professor in Architecture at the University of South Australia. He is a Deputy Director of Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments (IVE). He has researched in the broad areas of Architectural Computing and Design Cognition, including topics such as Computational Design Analysis; Computer-supported Collaborative Design; Interactive and Virtual Environments; Building Information Modelling (BIM); Generative and Parametric Design Systems; Intercultural Design and Communication; and Protocol Studies on designers’ behaviour and cognition.
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Thursday 15th June, 2023