We propose an open platform for collecting data in the city simultaneously functioning as a social network. We seize the waves of processes of dynamic urbanisation and the growing necessity of urban design focus for the sake of developing future architectures.
We believe that specific urban mapping tools are essential, firstly in understanding and decoding the organism of one city, secondly in researching on how these findings offer possibilities on the future form and design of the city, and thirdly to identify circumstances for scenario alternatives. We strongly consider the city of tomorrow based on the relationship of physical form versus the soft form, social and economic aspects, processed data from cell phone networks, credit card systems and social media networks. We argue that structuring our digital traces adjusts our attention to interactions between people, places and institutions.
Manifesto
#1
Tailored analytical urban mapping tools
The city of the future represents a meta network of data flows, weaving the physical form with the soft world containing the symbolic, social and political environment, an imperative for integrating future architecture proposals.
#2
Measuring the non-measurable
Developing frameworks for extracting layers of data in one particular city requires new methodologies.
We all carry digital traces (social media, mobile phones, credit cards) which have different data sets regarding the habits, patterns of behaviour and activities that individuals conduct in a certain space. The classification of such information in the existing conditions is needed in order to come up with probabilities for alternative design futures.
#3
Networks
Building an open platform which will create relationships between people’s mapping in different geo-contexts is a necessary “measure” to enable the connections of experts in the dawn of urban acceleration. Multidisciplinary researchers will be able to receive feedback and present and review digital portfolios of maps.
Furthermore the platform will enable storage and previews of layers of maps as well as teams working on continuous mapping on one territory.
#4
Palimpsest
The heterogenous traces we receive from the city is required to determine the reinforcements of the fragmented city corpus, to highlight the fundamentals. The future architecture requires a new written anatomy, one based on data from the soft world both on the micro and macro level. Our platform opposes the “horizontal plan”, extracting urban cartographies which become a manual for the way people use the city reading borders, identity, culture and communication.
#5
Big data processing model the design future
The platform provides possibilities to process and represent big data on the map thus inspiring proposals of architecture interventions within the social, economic and symbolic interactions. It will be a toolbox for analysis, visual packaging and social flows. Contemporary cartographies will blend social aspects, urban design and big data while capturing dense urban environment. The teams will advance the processing towards new UD methodologies.
