Swarms in Urban Villages: New Media Design to Augment Social Networks of Residents in Inner-City Developments

Research Grant
ARC Linkage LP0776341
2008 – 2010

Abstract
Developers and governments around the world are struggling to achieve socially sustainable neighbourhood communities in master-planned urban developments. Research into the network characteristics of community in the Kelvin Grove Urban Village, Brisbane, will inform the design of proof of concepts of viable new media and ICT applications: peer-to-peer publishing tools, social networking systems and locative mobile media. The new applications will be trialled, and the impact of their use on enhancing the quality of community life in the Urban Village will be assessed. The project will deliver transferable technologies and knowledge to strengthen Australia’s social fabric.

This study will develop advanced knowledge of how urban neighbourhood communities can be assisted to grow in healthy ways by the use of new media and ICTs. By careful attention to cultural and social assets in the community, innovations will be engendered which enhance economic and social development. This will lead to greater social inclusion, fair access to and smart use of information and services, urban sustainability and healthier local economies. Understanding the opportunities afforded by digital augmentation of social networks will help Australians negotiate the complex web of daily choices, access a greater social safety net and participate in the socio-cultural and socio-economic life of their neighbourhood and city.

Team

Partners

Publications
Satchell, C., Foth, M., Hearn, G., & Schroeter, R. (2008, Dec 8-12). Suburban Nostalgia: The Community Building Potential of Urban Screens. In F. Vetere, C. Graham & C. Satchell (Eds.), Proceedings OZCHI 2008 (pp. 243-246). Cairns, QLD: James Cook University. (eprints >)

Satchell, C., Foth, M., Hearn, G., & Schroeter, R. (2008, Oct 3-5). New Media Design to Augment Social Networks of City Residents. Poster presented at the Urban Screens conference, Melbourne, VIC. (eprints >)

Foth, M. (2006, Jun 12-14). Research to Inform the Design of Social Technology for Master-Planned Communities. In J. Ljungberg & M. Andersson (Eds.), Proceedings 14th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS). Göteborg, Sweden. (eprints >)