Internet and the CityHybrid Spaces + Fieldwork

by Yulya Besplemennova

for MATING URBANISM

13/01/2016

Who’s Yulya?

medium.com/@coonsfromspace

medium.com/@yulya

issuu.com/yulyabesplemennova/docs/eterea

Why the Internet? (and the city)

“Being urban is being online”

(http://digitalurbanis.ms/)

If you do not care about networks, the networks will care about you, anyway. For as long as you want to live in society, at this time and in this place, you will have to deal with the network society. Because we live in the Internet galaxy.Manuel Castells (2001) Internet Galaxy, p. 282

Any technology influences our/city life

Technology doesn’t happen in the vaccuum!!!

new tech appears as a response to some advanced demands

it’s being adapted by general society and influences it

What distinguishes cyberspace, and in particular the Internet, has been the speed of diffusion and growth...

1. Internet is the most rapidly growing means of telecommunication

2. It is hyper-social and brings together all the previous formats of communication

3. Now it is also mobile - therefore out in the streets of the cities

Social Effects of the Internet

Despite many concerns active users of the Internet are also more active in the offline communication.

Research shows no single Internet effect.

Cyberspace vs. Public Space

Local community “Little boxes” Glocalization

Person-to-person networks Person-to-things networks

Just like in old times Homer likes to meet his friends at Moe’s while Marge is actively participating in church community.

However real contemporary family’s anchor is their living room connected to global world by TV-news and telephone.

Unlike her parents Lisa finds like-minded friends in different places using the Internet. (She also likes playing poker there.)

Despite his love to TV Homer tries all new de-vices and they’re changing his relations to others. (Though it’s still unclear whether something will make him spend more time outdoors)

With the development of Internet of Things and AI technologies we get closer to in-volvement of real non-human agents into the networks

“Her”

Time vs. Space

It generally appears that physical space doesn’t matter anymore with the portable cyber-spaces that follows us everywhere.

“Where are you?”“Can you talk now?”is not relevant anymore

“One must not overlook the fact that people still live in a material world and require food, shelter and human contact. In cases where services can be decentralised, they still have to locate in areas of suitable skilled labour and conventional transport links. In other words, although ICTs work to destroy space–time relations, to render social relations ‘spaceless’, other spatial practices, forms and forces resist and work against this attrition. Consequently, we are witnessing simultaneous pressures of spatial fragmentation (decentralisation) and unity (centralisation)… Indeed, a complex interplay between local and global forces exists as some places use and develop their localism, their uniqueness, to try and attract visitors and business.”

Besides the pure pragmatism of production and consumption

processes, also emotional bonds to places and their social aspects

are important. In “Place and Placelessness”, Relph explores the

relationship between people and places. He posits that there is a

powerful relationship between the two, to the extent that

“people are their place and a place is its people”.

1. Places become less authentic with globalisation

2. People travel more and lose connection to places that they used to have

3. Wherever you’re you can access the same virtual “places” on internet and connect to your community

The Internet and Public Realm

“The proportion of copresent others in the public realm is dramatically in favor of the unfamiliar and leans toward a diversity of interests, behaviors, and beliefs rather than to the familiar or the homophilous.”

“The public realm can provide a provocative, potentially disruptive, and contested setting that, although incomplete, is an important com-ponent of public deliberation in an increasingly shrinking public sphere.”

“Things occur or exist in relation to space and time.” [3]

— But which space?!

Hertzian space

Cyber space

Tangible space

Hertzian spaceOn basic physical level any wireless connection is made of electromagnetic waves. They set specific constraints which should be understood for the best user experience

“All electronic products are hybrids of radiation and matter” - so are the spaces

Physical space also affects what your interactions and experience in the cyber space

FIELD RESEARCHin hybrid space

How are the public spaces in Milan?

Who are the users?

What are they doing there?

What do they need to connect?

How’s the existing offers in connection to city ge-ography and users?

What’s the first-hand experience of those offers?

What do users think of them?

Who are the most promising or extreme users in need?

What’s local specificity?

Does existing connection change some public spaces and how?

Field Observations/ Research Questions:

Some of routes taken in the city during research observations:

ToolsSuch a complex matter as Wi-Fi and Internet behaviour requires special ways to research it

ATM

90, 91

shops

cafès

metro entrances

flowersshop

drinkingfountain

Gromicecream

Isola Digitale

bench+tree

newsstand

McDonald’s

BikeMi

=

Mo 14/10 9:00

We 9/10 13:30

We 16/10 16:30

Tu 8/10 16:50

Th 3/10 17:50

Th 3/10 18:50 Sat 5/10 19:28

Sat 19/10 18:00

Sun 20/10 13:08

Sun 13/10 17:30

Superposition of different time layers makes it evident which spots are more popular than others

Usage Comparison

Monday morning — almost empty square with several strangely behav-ing people

Teens gather here after school pre-ferring to stay around McDonald’s and BikeMi corner

On sunny days there is always line of people in front of Grom and benches are occupied then by icecream eaters ^_^

During lunch benches are full with people taking food away

Use on weekdays

Mo 14/10 9:00 We 9/10 13:30 We 16/10 16:30 Th 3/10 17:50

Use on weekends

Saturday afternoon is very active time for this square, especially many teenagers in their regular part

Elderly is gathering here as well, coming to meet even from other neighborhoods as they love to stay at lively place

Even in the “empty” moments like Sunday lunch time there are groups of immigrants staying for long time in the square together

On pedestrian day at Corso Buenos Aires a lot of people were enjoying activity outdoors, but mostly passing by

Sat 5/10 19:28Sat 19/10 18:00 Sun 20/10 13:08 Sun 13/10 17:30

Teenagers just like sitting on the shared bikes instead of benches

People tend to use their phones when waiting for someone in the square

Many tourists pass by here resting or looking for directions to explore the city center

Groups of immigrants can spend many hours in this square

When waiting for someone people stay reading even after dark under newsstand lights

Local elderly likes to spend time here as the place is full of people and is very lively

Even after the rain place is soon getting populated with people using newspapers to sit on

Sunny day — line on front of Grom and beggar using this opportunity

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Context:

Via Morgagni is a 5-blocks long boulevard be-tween Loreto and Porta Venezia metro stations. It’s an inner neighborhood street with not that much of pedestrian traffic of random passers by.

Facilities:

It’s green area includes 2 children playgrounds, 3 dogs grounds (including piazza Lavater), space of Amici delle Bocce – Bocce game field and other spaces of mixed use with only few benches, trees and bushes (probably they were designed as “quiet spaces” on the contrary to kids’ bocce playground, but in reality they look deserted and not safe which is justified by their patrons) There are 2 drinking water fountains, one of the first filtered water dispensing machines from Milan municipality

and even quite rare for Milan - public toilet.

Also on the length of boulevard it accommodates 2 gas stations and Bikemi sharing station, also a bikelane is passigng through.

Flowers shop in the middle close to Amici delle Bocce place significant role in improving overall appearance of boulevard.

There are two newsstands which both offer Wi-Fi Freeluna.

Around there are some bars, restaurants and shops but mostly just residential buildings and offices.

Design: Besides the special grounds all other areas are less

cared of and could benefit from better

design. They have regular Milanese green benches now and offer quite rigid communication structures. This system appear to be working attracting mul-tiple groups of people, but some of them express wish to see better environment.

People/Pattern: This space follows residential life pattern — timeta-ble of children coming back from school to come playing to the kids grounds and working parents taking children out on weekends. Elderly gathers in the afternoons, teens at night. Lunchtime is also popular hour for people to have break here and enjoy staying outdoors.

Patrons: Locals using various mentioned facilities or just coming here to get some rest. Normally it’s not a

destination to travel to, people get here from the surrounding zone.

Overall social: It attracts all the different kinds of people which normally are segregated. There are homeless, el-derly, people with dogs and at the same time kids, at night teens gather here to smoke weed. And it’s all toped by regular runners and cyclists.

Morning is the time of less activity with only few people here

Zone 1, Fri 11/10, 12:30 Zone 3, Tue 16/7, 19:30

Zone 4Zone 4, Mo 15/10, 12:30

Zone 1, We 9/10, 16:48 Zone 5, Tue 16/7, 19:30

Zone 6Zone 4, Sat 5/10, 18:00

By night users change completely, teenagers overtake kids playgrounds

On weekends situation is slightly dif-ferent — older users are still active after 6 p.m.

The most active zone attracting many people, as it has different facil-ities altogether

The least active zone in the end of the street only with benches, usually very deserted

After lunch (and after school) scen-ery changes with many visitors, es-pecially parents with kids and elderly

Not all zones have the same activity hours — some are getting more pop-ulated after 6 p.m.

Especially dog owners come out in the evening and spend a lot of time in their ground

Despite popularity of BikeMi and wa-ter dispensing service Comune hasn’t provide Wi-Fi here for some reasons

Flowers shop in the middle both beautifies the street and is involved in local community

Very different people meet here as they’re locals and communicate de-spite their differences

On the contrary quiet zones provide space for unconventional behaviour like popping bubble wrap O_o

New technologies connect people through generations: grandfather and grandson taking photos for his par-ents

However local community managed the deal with municipality to get spe-cial purpose spaces

Usually local dog owners build a friendly community, but even some of them prefer their devices

Lively atmosphere of children play-grounds attracts “quiet” users like those reading to rest

10/10 11:45

10/10 14:50

10/10 12:15

10/10 15:43

10/10 12:49

10/10 16:20

10/10 14:20

2/10 16:50

2/10 17:50

2/10 18:50

2/10 19:50

2/10 20:20

Space Use

30yo, Egyptian, makes pizza.

“This place has every-thing - Openwifi, McDon-alds, cheap coffee at the snack machine around the corner, drinking fountain, benches, people”

“What would I do in the park? Watch trees? My phone screen is what important to see for me!”

60yo “professor”,spotted him 2 times more, No elec-tricity at home. working, checking mails, charging devices, socializing on his Macbook air, old phone

“I don’t have time to learn all these interfaces! I need to work to take care of my ill mother!”

“Take care of your belong-ings, it’s not that safe around here”

Piazza Oberdan, “home-less, unfortunate” from the other Italian cities

the way they sit — the designed structure is not supporting their needs ergonomically

there is no Wi-Fi there at that moment,

they heard that there’s Openwifi somewhere, but they cannot find it without internet

this spot is still not on the openwifi map

now, when there apper-ared Wi-Fi, electricity plugs were not working anymore

the bench is new, but looks used a lot already because it’s in the place used by homeless and “undesir-ables”, however it found it’s users

Internet is for rich people

I used it in li-brary, but they give only 1 hour

Openwifi mi-lano? I heard that it doesn’t really work

I don’t wanna be in the park, I wanna be online

Wow! look! there’s WiFi here!

All events are sched-uled online

I prefer Internet to the trees

There’s some Wi-Fi here, but we couldn’t figure out how to use it

if there’s no Wi-Fi I cannot enter the space

Hanger out

Needs:

_place close to transport nodes or socially active where they like to hang out_charging phones_assistance_offline communication

_contact with locals?

Prototype: immigrant

He moved to Milan to work from other country. His job allows having a lot of free time. However he’s not able to spend it with quality as his social access is re-stricted. At home he could have university degree and all educated friends, but here people he meets at work are of very lower educational level which causes frustration. He doesn’t have enough money to get In-ternet at home or a 3G, so he’s hanging out using free Wi-Fi to stay connected with friends at home and get some entertaining content.

Socializer

Needs:

_space to hang out in big groups_close to affordable food_sitting_antiboredom content_safety

Prototype: teenager

Comes out to spend some free time with the bigger group of his friends, they prefer to stay altogether and close to food places like McDonalds. Also needs to stay con-nected with other not present ones and so uses public connection to chat with them. Has Internet at home, but not much money to pay for a lot of 3G and uses it a lot ex-ceeding the limit soon. Also has enough time to spend some of it on registration pro-cess and the need to log in every time.

User Archetypes Description

Passing from demographic

description to the space

and service use pattern

Traffic addictedWalker/ShopperSocializerHanger out Productivity seeker

between jobs, on days-off afternoon after school all day long after classes/days off between meetings on workdays

can’t afford home internet, neither 3G

home internet, but when stay outexceeding 3G traffic

possible internet in hotels,don’t buy 3G for short visits not enough home/school/3G internet

home(&office) internet,not enough 3G out

mostdisadvantaged

mostadvantaged

skills

time m

oney nowledge soc. ac

cess

tra

ffic

skills

time m

oney nowledge soc. ac

cess

tra

ffic

skills

time m

oney nowledge soc. ac

cess

tra

ffic

skills

time m

oney nowledge soc. ac

cess

tra

ffic

skills

time m

oney nowledge soc. ac

cess

tra

ffic

timetime

money

.acc

skills

skills

money

oc.acce

ss

skills

raffi

c

Internet

Space

Functional

Emotional

Enough traffic to use SN, check news and updates, get some content

Comfortable to stay quite a long time, charge the phone, but can be quite crowded

Wans to stay in touch with friends

Get local friends, assimilate, entertainment, but cheap/free

Watching videos/listening music, using SN

Comfortable for big groups, allowing fluid gatherings

Get info from friends and share content experience

Be cool, be safe

Info about the city, SN, easy sharing

Interesting and pleasant to stay in and have rest

Check updates, find routes, share experience

Enjoy staying in the city without getting lost, frustrated and wasting time

Traffic enought to download something, make research online

Pleasant, not too crowded, allowing to stay there for a while

Getting studying and entertain-ment content

Communication with other students, socializiing, learning new things

Reliable fast connection

Productive space (vary for people) allowing stay with laptop

Get job done

Don’t waste time, be efficient, but also not bored

Not satisfied with existing offer, but are the “truly Wi-Fi audience”Somewhat satisfied with existing service

NEEDS:

W

Understanding User Journey and Breakdown Moments

Authorization/Registration

Maybe it’s also in place?

Some people can even drop idea as soon as they see the authorization required, others waste a lot of time on it

Position of zones in the city

lots of hotspots are in the meaning-less places while other important are left

Didn’t know that there’s municipal Wi-Fi at all! But can it be reliable?

I will just fast

Why am I not recieving the messages?

Comune

?! Register!

Oh! Wi-Fi here!Why here?!

Connection before registration stops people from receiving messages and notifications over their normal 3G

Communication of overall thing

Lots of people don’t even know that there is such an Openwifi. Because of communication and existing reputation of public services in Italy there are trust problems

Comune website is the only content advantage of existing offer and the website itself doesn’t have many useful services

Scarcity of special content/services

Isole Digitali and Openwifi Milano arenot linked well together in the overall system and people don’t movebetween spots

Bad communication inside the service

There are existing offers in the city, butinstead of working in synergy, they do add complications and frustration

Fragmentation

It’s nice here: shadeand benches!

But no ?!

Finally!

Can’t believe!

ComuneFreeluna Register

with FbADS ADSADS ADSADS ADS

But it’s different!

At least I can register fast!

Oh no! Full of ads!

I thought I couldfind transport INFO

at least!

&

Oh, I have to

log in again!

Safety

Social tension

People using internet get less aware of their surround-ings, plu sthey’re o in the higher risk as they’re exposing devices

Diversity in public realm is generally considered to be positive for urban life, however it can cause less usage of service

Digital divide

The most loyal users are those that don’thave any other option, however as theyspend more time here, their needs should be treated more careful, plus educational work required

It’s imposssible to move between

different zones not losing connection and authorization is

required again

Roaming

This bench is souncomfortable!

I cannot reach the socket if I sit

down!

I’ve exhausted allthe traffic already!

He will rob me!

Internet is for rich people!

=(

Invisibility of zones in the city

Limited trafficSurrounding environment

Even when someoneknows that there’s a spotin the area, it’s hard to find it and people sitting right in the place often don’t evenrealize it

The street furniture is not supporting the usage of wifi from the ergonomic point of view as well as not helping on sunny days, etc.

500 Mb a day is rather a good offer, comparing toCellular cometitors,however it’s not exactlywhat’s expected from Wifi(plus knowing about thislimit gives people negativeimpression even if they won’t ever exhaust it)

Meanwhile in Piazza Argentina...

I’ve seen ,but I cannot find it here!

1. The existing position of spots is not the best from the users point of view; each citizen has the unique knowledge of the city and some of them would really like to share it and take help decision-making process

2. Citizens don't appreciate the built infrastruc-ture and Comune's efforts invested in it

3. Citizens don't know the real situation with OpenWifi; it's hard to find any information

4. Comune is afraid to become competitors with the Telecom operators; Comune is se-riously limited in budget

5. People often don't even know about the presence of Wi-Fi in the place they're

6. People don't know how to find out, where is Openwifi Milan, some of them don't have internet to make preliminary research

7. Different uses (phone call/email checking/watching video/listening music/chatting) require different physical settings; users with different devices have varying ergonomic needs

8. People will spend time at the place if they need it despite any design, but they will be uncomfortable; existing design interferes us-ers' behaviour

9. When using expensive devices and being completely focused on the virtual world, people become more vulnerable to robber-ies and become anxious because of that

10. Public connectivity can be used by most var-ious types of users, but some of them (like digital divided groups) need more "care"

Existing Service Problems

than others

11. People would like to stay away from cer-tain groups of others; consideration that Wi-Fi can improve the situation with unde-sirables doesn't work anymore - everyone has cellphones even if they were stolen

12. Minutes wasted on registration and au-thorization are enough for people to drop idea of using service

13. When is starts like that users' expectations of service drop as well from the very be-ginning

14. Some people drop the idea of using public Wi-Fi just as soon as they see the landing page requiring registration, they don’t even read the offer

15. The style of PUBLIC service is not that ap-pealing to people who're overwhelmed by commercial offers language

16. People don't have time/will/power (es-pecially at the street) to get into too much information and learn new rules and inter-faces

17. Being "free" is not enough for the offer to be desirable for people to switch from the one they're using

1. Involve citizens crowdsourcing power to plan better infrastruc-ture/Put spots where they’re really needed

2. Communicate the value of infra-structure to people

3. Communicate clearly all the steps and state of existing development

4. Think of the possible partnerships where Comune is seen as a facili-tator of processes for the common good, not a competitor

5. Make infrastructure clearly visible to people in the city

6. Provide full and precise commu-nication materials (maps, signs, apps), keep them updated and accessible not only online

7. Choose places meaningful for citizens

8. Choose or create the proper sup-portive environment for various usages of infrastructure

9. Ergonomic concerns should be the most important, goals of pub-lic “rotation”, etc, should not be achieved through bad design

10. Preserve safety of created spaces

Design Principles

11. Support needs of diverse groups of users

12. Be inclusive, but manage conse-quences: help to release social tension originating from the het-erogeneity of people in public

13. Respect people’s time over any-thing

14. Build and support users’ trust in service

15. Communicate the offer fast and clear

16. Keep it calm and engaging

17. Keep it supersimple

18. Add a new demanded value to the offer besides its commercial bene-fit and communicate it clearly

19. Keep it transparent (especially when working with citizens’ money)

20. Use the Social Media power to promote the infrastructure

they don’t want to competethey don’t want to spend money on com-munication hoping that word of mouth will workand they say that it’s going fineBUTthey don’t give information say that now we’re finishing the infrastruc-ture and will start to think of services

build it FOR citizens using citizens’ money and don’t want

to communicate with citizens

they will fail and no one will even notice

Mapping Global ContextVery different forces are involved in municipal Wi-Fi system

Users want to get to the network, but accessibility problem stops them,

Investors want to reach the users, but there are a lot of obstacles on the way - competitors and accessi-bility problem whihc render service not that usable.

The feedback loop between users and investors is broken also. more than that many users are actu-ally investors as the public network is built partially on their money, but there is no transparency and they don’t see the situation.

Comune

WIFi Zones

Communication Website

Internet Gateway Services

Digital Islands

Investors

Users

Virtual network access

Devices

Authentication

Internet

Intranet

wwwother services

Expo EUTaxpayersMicrosoft

Decision making committeeMayor Project Team

Zone’s councils

Signage

Social Media

Twitter

Bloggers

MapsCustomer Support

Hotspots Supports

ATMBritish Telecom

Hardware provider

Fiber Optics

EM-waves (wifi)

Electricity

LOCATIONS

Network Adminis-tration

Benches

Sockets

Lights

CCTV

maintenance

Internet provider

Sim cardsOS

Comune users

Machine users

City services

Geek usersLead usersMajorityDigitally divided

AppsLocal businesses

Wifi providersCompetitors

Cellular operators

Cell operatorsFragmentation

physical surroundings

Interfering objects

existing street furniture

Radio Spectrum regulations

Electicity company

Urban furniture usage regulations

Installation

TRENDS:

Networked societySmart cities

Video culture

Internet of things

Developers

Promoters

Advocates groups

existing street furniture

No clear feedback between taxpayers and users. (no acces-sible data on the level of use of the service)Poor ergonomics not

suppoting the wifi use.

Absence of tech-community interested in wifi in the city. (AssoWifi is meant for it, but it has some issues)

Both users and competi -tors

Demand more services

Only Windows phone now!

No yet

Often questionable

Superpoor

BRANDINGIS BAD

Both investors and competitors are fighting for the end users. Investor’s money are spend to sustain the service, but the internal weaknesses (poor services and authentication complications) of it make users to prefer competitors’ offers as for now.

Accessibility