Remembering the Past, Imagining the Future: Embedding Narrative and New Media in Urban Planning

Australian Research Council Linkage Grant (LP0882274) 2008 – 2011

Narrative based new media innovations, such as digital stories, computer gaming, and location based scenarios can enrich community engagement in the urban planning process. Community derived stories of the past and future can thereby inform policy and modelling to preserve heritage and yield more sustainable cities. A research team comprising creatives, new media specialists, educators, and urban planners will research, develop and evaluate a suite of creative outputs and allied planning prototypes in two urban locations: Kelvin Grove and Noosa. Comparative analysis will provide insights into different regional dynamics and assist transfer of outcomes to other Australian communities.

This project supports new media creativity and literacy in two Australian communities. It helps people participate in the urban planning process. It assists in improving a sense of belonging and fosters human talent and socio-cultural values favourable to creativity and innovation. By empowering people to bring about change within their local community, the project re-invigorates a more contemporary interpretation of community values in a knowledge society. Australia’s capacity to interpret and engage with its urban environment is also enhanced by raising our awareness of the socio-cultural background, heritage and future aspirations of local community members.

Team

• Prof. Greg Hearn (Chief Investigator)
• Assoc. Prof. Marcus Foth (Chief Investigator)
• Assoc. Prof. Bhishna Bajracharya, Bond University (Chief Investigator)
• Prof. Kerry Mallan (Chief Investigator)
• Dr Helen Klaebe (Chief Investigator)
• Ruth Greenaway (APAI PhD Candidate)
• Michelle Hall (PhD Candidate)
• Ariella Van Luyn (PhD Candidate)
• Bridgette Mckelvey (PhD Candidate)
• Kevin Wiesner, Technical University Munich (Research Intern)

Partners

• Australian Research Council
• Sunshine Coast Council
• Noosa District State High School
• FKP

Publications

• Mallan, K., Foth, M., Greenaway, R., & Young G. T. (2012). Serious Playground: Using Second Life to Engage High School Students in Urban Planning. In J. Hunsinger & A. Krotoski (Eds.), Learning and Research in Virtual Worlds (pp. 107-129). London: Routledge. (eprints >)
• Foth, M., Satchell, C., Bilandzic, M., Hearn, G., & Shelton, D. (2011). Dramatic Character Development Personas to Tailor Apartment Designs for Different Residential Lifestyles. In M. Foth, L. Forlano, C. Satchell, & M. Gibbs (Eds.), From Social Butterfly to Engaged Citizen: Urban Informatics, Social Media, Ubiquitous Computing, and Mobile Technology to Support Citizen Engagement (pp. 461-484). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. (eprints >)
• Hearn, G., Foth, M., & Stevenson, T. (Eds.). (2011). Community Engagement for Sustainable Urban Futures. Special issue of Futures, 43(4). (eprints >)
• Mallan, K., Foth, M., Greenaway, R., & Young G. T. (2010). Serious Playground: Using Second Life to Engage High School Students in Urban Planning. Journal of Learning, Media and Technology, 35(2), 203-225. (eprints >)
• Houghton, K., Foth, M., & Hearn, G. (2010, Oct 29-31). Creativity, Knowledge, Engagement: Keys to Finding the Right Governance Model for a Regional Community Precinct. In J. Geelhaar, F. Eckardt, B. Rudolf, S. Zierold, & M. Markert (Eds.), MediaCity 2010: Interaction of Architecture, Media and Social Phenomena (pp. 211-232). Weimar, Germany: Bauhaus University Weimar. (eprints >)
• Foth, M., Bajracharya, B., Brown, R., & Hearn, G. (2009). The Second Life of Urban Planning? Using Neogeography Tools for Community Engagement. Journal of Location Based Services, 3(2), 97-117. (eprints >)
• Wiesner, K., Foth, M., & Bilandzic, M. (2009, Nov 23-27). Unleashing Creative Writers: Situated Engagement with Mobile Narratives. In J. Kjeldskov, J. Paay, & S. Viller (Eds.), Proceedings of OZCHI 2009 (pp. 373-376). Melbourne, VIC: The University of Melbourne. (eprints >)
• Wiesner, K., Foth, M., Bilandzic, M., & Krcmar, H. (2009, Sep 15-18). Restrictions and Constraints in Mobile Narratives for Place-based Community Engagement. Paper presented at the Community Practices and Locative Media Workshop, MobileHCI, Bonn, Germany. (eprints >)
• Foth, M., Klaebe, H., & Hearn, G. (2008). The Role of New Media and Digital Narratives in Urban Planning and Community Development. Body, Space & Technology, 7(2). (eprints >)
• Foth, M., Hearn, G., & Klaebe, H. (2007, Sep 9-12). Embedding Digital Narratives and New Media in Urban Planning. Paper presented at the Digital Resources for the Humanities and Arts (DRHA) Conference, Dartington, South Devon, UK. (eprints >)