We’re excited to be embarking on a new R&D Digital Placemaking project in Porth Teigr, Cardiff Bay – one of Europe’s most significant waterfront development projects led by igloo and the Welsh Government.

Physical spaces can no longer be separated from their digital dimensions – cities have become hybrid spaces – and Digital Placemaking is an emerging field that seeks to empower citizens, and other stakeholders, to experience and shape their public hybrid spaces through creative, critical engagement and co-creation. As the brilliant Jane Jacobs famously said: ‘There is no logic that can be superimposed on the city; people make it, and it is to them, not buildings, that we must fit our plans’. Though rather than buildings, we’re working with technology. And for anyone who is already familiar with our work, or our blog posts, you’ll know we’re making lots of noise about Digital Placemaking – see our blogs on: Digital placemaking for the arts,  A guide to 21st century placemaking and E-Book: How AR, apps and digital placemaking are driving innovation for heritage sites.  

Digital Placemaking has a multitude of applications – whether creating rich experiences that are immersive and interactive, helping local economic activity to thrive, supporting health and wellbeing or celebrating cultural heritage.

What might these be for Porth Teigr?

Porth Teigr is one of Europe’s most significant waterfront mixed use property projects. Led by sustainable property development specialists igloo and the Welsh Government, Porth Teigr (located in the heart of what was once Cardiff Docklands, the busiest port in the world during the 19th century) is the final jigsaw piece in the redevelopment of Cardiff Bay’s waterfront.

Supported by the Porth Teigr Community Fund, and working in collaboration with igloo and Studio Response, we’re embarking on a 6 month R&D project to explore the potential of Porth Teigr as an unfolding hybrid space. Kicking off with our co-creation workshop in May, we’ll soon begin developing a series of physical+digital demos – tangible, practical examples of how we collectively might approach Digital Placemaking in Porth Teigr.

The project will culminate in an interactive public sharing event, on site in Porth Teigr, in September 2017. If you’d like to register your interest in this event, or learn more about the project, please email Project Manager Louise Hobson louise@calvium.com.