Title: Sensory placemaking: reimagine the future resilient city and public spaces through senses and memories

Chair:

Assoc. Prof. Maro Sinou

Department of Interior Architecture

University of West Attica

Abstract/Description:

Sensory urbanism is an approach that explores people's sensorial experiences and understandings of their local environments. Such an approach is justified given the influential role of the senses in developing and affecting experience of the urban environment. The hypothesis is that the analysis of the urban environment through the senses will create more potential for the implementation of better practices in regeneration areas. The human perception of place is developed based on various stimuli, both tangible and intangible features associated with these interactions. People are usually perceived as assets, as the crucial resource. There is then, a focus on the city’s sensory landscape and its emotional and psychological impact. The sensory landscape, else urban sensescape is the total experience of the city through all the senses, that also creates a sense of belonging to the people, awaking memories, cultural bonds and associations.

Placemaking on the other side acts as both an overarching idea and a strategic approach for improving cities or neighbourhoods, but also inspires people to collectively reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of every community. Strengthening the connection between people and the places they share, placemaking refers to a collaborative process by which people can shape their public realm in order to maximize social value. Placemaking promotes successful urban design and facilitates creative patterns of use, paying particular attention to the physical, cultural, and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution. Also considering and exploiting the sensory experiences of the users, an effective placemaking process capitalizes on a local community's assets, unique identities, senses and memories that derive from their experiences, and it results in the creation of resilient cities or neighbourhoods.

• 15-minute city (before and after covid)
• Placemaking and community participation / Collaborative design
• Health & Wellbeing - Post-Covid living
• Green - Blue infrastructure as a means towards improving the urban microclimate
• City Lighting – Light pollution – Street lighting
• Acoustic city environment – city soundscape
• Smellscape of the city – Heritage smells
• Comfort in the city (thermal, visual, acoustic, olfactory)
• Air quality in public spaces
• Land art – Street Art – Public Art
• Sensory mapping
• Green schoolyards
• Hospital outdoor spaces – health spaces – healing gardens
• Hotel outdoor space design
• Green playgrounds - playspaces
• Soil and water management
• Waste management