Intelligent Technologies for Interactive Entertainment. 9th International Conference, INTETAIN 2017, Funchal, Portugal, June 20-22, 2017, Proceedings

Research Article

Placemaking Across Platforms: Playing to Circulate Stories in the Smart City

Download
292 downloads
  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.1007/978-3-319-73062-2_13,
        author={Benjamin Stokes and Karl Baumann and Fran\`{e}ois Bar},
        title={Placemaking Across Platforms: Playing to Circulate Stories in the Smart City},
        proceedings={Intelligent Technologies for Interactive Entertainment. 9th International Conference, INTETAIN 2017, Funchal, Portugal, June 20-22, 2017, Proceedings},
        proceedings_a={INTETAIN},
        year={2018},
        month={2},
        keywords={Playful Smart city Tangible object Placemaking Stories},
        doi={10.1007/978-3-319-73062-2_13}
    }
    
  • Benjamin Stokes
    Karl Baumann
    François Bar
    Year: 2018
    Placemaking Across Platforms: Playing to Circulate Stories in the Smart City
    INTETAIN
    Springer
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-73062-2_13
Benjamin Stokes1,*, Karl Baumann2,*, François Bar2,*
  • 1: American University
  • 2: University of Southern California
*Contact email: bstokes@american.edu, kbaumann@usc.edu, fbar@usc.edu

Abstract

Urban placemaking can deepen the sense of place, including with novel technologies. Placemaking seeks to revitalize public spaces, attract investment, and rally stakeholders. How can play help to position residents as storytellers and circulators of key images tied to local history? This study shows how play can leverage smart city technologies, including urban furniture and rebuilt payphones. Game mechanics were selected to gather crowds at local monuments, generate pictures of the group tied to local mythology, and automatically circulate images online. In contrast to “app” based approaches, the design facilitated cross-platform “spread” for local storytelling. The study shows how placemaking can benefit from physical objects and hybrid interfaces to facilitate the circulation of local placemaking narratives.