VIRTUAL London Heritages Conference

Abstract

Cities, much like history, are often narrated through the perspective of those who emerged victorious—whether in economic, cultural, or political struggles. Yet, the built environment reveals a more complex reality: cities are not singular stories but rather assemblages of diverse social scenarios and heritages, materialized through their morphologies, narratives, and everyday practices. Understanding the city requires uncovering these layers and the intricate relationships between them. we ask how digital humanities and more precisely the concept of the Social Digital Twin expand our ability to expose the city’s latent possibilities—borrowing from Weber’s concept of “objective possibilities.” Learning on 3S Lab infrastructure, which develops social topographies through critical cartography methods. We argue that digital humanities are essential for embedding critical theory within digital platforms, offering new ways to reimagine urban space and its histories. In this research project, we aimed to challenge the concept of the social digital twin in light of the challenges faced by the southern neighborhoods of Tel Aviv. This exploration is framed within the theoretical discourse of the Global South or, as articulated in urban studies, the Urban South. Since urban morphology reflects the culture and history of entire communities, we modeled one of the ethnic neighborhoods that were designed according to the planning principles of its residents. We then instructed the computer to scan all layers of Tel Aviv in search of a similar morphological pattern. The findings reveal the identification of a historical strip of ethnic neighborhoods in the city, characterized by a distinct architectural heritage and signature. (Link to the lab site https://3s-smart-social.webflow.io/)