Augmented Placemaking: Urban Technologies, Interaction Design and Public Spaces in a Post-Pandemic World

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a sudden and widespread reorganization of public spaces, underpinned by digital technologies. The impromptu, ad hoc and collective character of this reorganization of shared places for social interactions echoes traditional practices of placemaking otherwise advocated for liveable cities, now applied to the new-physical, virtual and, increasingly, hybrid-public spaces people started to inhabit. In this article, I define the notion of 'augmented placemaking', referring to a particularly new form of digital placemaking, unleashed by the pandemic. First, I identify key new scenarios for the design of urban interfaces that emerged or gained impetus in response to COVID-19. Following that, I synthesize a model for augmented placemaking based on emerging topologies, discussing the opportunities and challenges they posed, and their potential to inform future HCI. I then conclude by proposing guidelines to inform the design process of augmented placemaking initiatives going forward. Categories and subject descriptors: cities; pervasive computing; smart cities