Place is forever becoming, on the edge of what may happen next. Much of my world explores the entanglement of digital technologies in place. In order to get a better sense of the complexity of that entanglement, it can be useful to identify the multiple threads that make up the fabric of a place. 

First and foremost, we need to remind ourselves that places are becoming increasingly complex systems. They evolve and all of their constituent parts evolve: for example, built environment and natural infrastructures; legislative, regulatory and governance structures; utility infrastructures; demographics; economics, politics, culture…and so forth. These are all intertwined and always changing.

The sketch above is purely illustrative and suggests some of the threads that make up place and should not be taken as a firm framework. Its purpose is purely to act as a shared resource that helps us probe, reframe and reimagine place in the 21st century.

As we can see in the sketch and the image portfolio, today, digital technologies are a constituent part of the make-up of towns and cities. To whatever level they are categorised, digital technologies are a permanent thread in the urban fabric. 

Over the past 20 years, so much has changed in the ways that we understand and experience urban places. Airbnb was introduced to the UK in 2009, allowing people to list, discover and book accommodation. Uber, the ride-hailing service began operating in London in 2012. The food delivery platform, Deliveroo, started operating in 2013 and Amazon’s delivery and logistics network has expanded massively over the years. These digital platforms have significantly influenced the urban landscape, labour markets, housing markets, and social fabric of towns and cities, leading to a mix of benefits and challenges. 

Initiatives

Globally, we see fantastic examples of place-based digital innovation for social and environmental good; all of which hold laws, regulation, standards and governance dear as they are under development (companies don’t have to “move fast and break things” in order to deliver innovative products at speed).

Some examples include:

• The Lumkani app and system is an early warning fire detection system designed for informal settlements. It encourages community engagement and collective responsibility for fire safety in South Africa. 
• Vula Mobile is a mobile health application developed in South Africa. The app connects healthcare providers in remote or underserved areas with specialists in various fields, enabling quicker consultations and expert advice without the need for patients to travel long distances. 
• Environmental monitoring and conservation technologies in Costa Rica. Projects like the Guanacaste Conservation Area use drones, satellite imagery, and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to monitor biodiversity, track deforestation and manage protected areas effectively.

Closer to home, in the UK several pioneering projects are providing an evidence base for the value of embedded digital placemaking, including:

• NavSta: mobile wayfinding system that helps people with less visible impairments to navigate railway stations confidently & independently, funded by the Department for Transport
• Digital Placemaking for the NHS: research exploring how digital placemaking can enhance the physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing of North East London’s stakeholder communities
• Ideascape: research identifying ways in which digital placemaking can contribute to the social, cultural and economic prosperity of Cardiff Bay, Wales.

Left: NavSta user in Underground station. Centre: North East London communities. Right: Ideascape’s ‘talking’ buoy.

In 2024, digital technologies can no longer be separated from place and should, therefore, be front and centre in the minds and practice of built environment professionals, policymakers and communities. The opportunities to draw on place-based digital technologies in ways that are socially and environmentally beneficial are great, but to do so needs collective attention, understanding and care.

Conclusion

As I have shown, digital technologies are woven into the fabric of place. They should not be viewed as ‘other’ or a bolt on; they are fundamental parts of place and should be understood and treated as such. 

Many tech unicorns rode the wave of 21st century techno-optimism. This resulted in an over confident vision of digital technologies, where disrupting existing practices was encouraged. This same techno-optimism led to the ‘imposition’ of digital products in places, causing massive consequences for those places. The great news is that we now have plenty of examples of how to develop emerging place-based digital technologies well, and holistically. So we have a choice, we can choose to put our efforts toward binding future emerging technologies into systems for good; thereby disrupting the disruption model. Let’s get going!