Navigation by GPS-based systems: engagement with/disengagement from the place and the respective role of urban design

Ahmadpoor, Negar; Heath, Tim

Abstract

The physical environment has started to be taken into consideration in mobile human– computer interaction more and more in order to bring humans and computers closer together. These studies focus on merging the aspects of actual situations in real world into the information delivered by mobile devices. These studies have helped to develop the computer-based technologies toward considering more human factors by adopting the principles of the physical environment. There is now a large body of research presenting how urban planning principles are applied to the design of virtual environments. For instance, Kevin Lynch " s theories from " Image of the City " (1960) have been widely implemented in designing virtual cities and particularly navigation systems. Navigation systems use the design fundamentals which are initiated and developed by urban planners and environmental psychologist. However, there has to date been little study in the opposite direction; analysing the effects of digital technologies and digital mobile devices on urban places, the way people understand cities through these devices in order to draw out the role of urban planning and urban design towards these effects. In fact, as a result of the recent emergence of the fluid, responsive, kinetic, data-driven worlds of ICT and its combination with the urban landscape, urban design faces a radical rethink of a number of its principal underpinnings. So, urban planners and urban designers need to understand the effect of ICTs and digital mobile devices on traditional urban principals (city imaging, way-finding, context, comprehensibility, space, neighbourhood boundaries, etc.). In addition, it is important to recognise the way that people interact with their physical environment in order to find ways in which they can fruitfully and desirably combine real urbanity and virtual urbanity. This would lead to the opportunity for creating networked public spaces that can value the traditional physical qualities of cities whilst embracing the digital aspects of the developing ubiquitous world.

Citation

Ahmadpoor, N., & Heath, T. (2017). Navigation by GPS-based systems: engagement with/disengagement from the place and the respective role of urban design. In A. Karandinou (Ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference ‘Between Data and Senses: Architecture, Neuroscience and the Digital World (25-26)

• Conference Name: International Conference ‘Between Data and Senses: Architecture, Neuroscience and the Digital Worlds
• Start Date: Mar 23, 2017
• End Date: Mar 24, 2017
• Acceptance Date: Jan 5, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Mar 23, 2017
• Publication Date: Mar 23, 2017
• Deposit Date: Nov 14, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 14, 2018
• Journal: The International Conference
• Pages: 25-26
• Book Title: Proceedings of the International Conference ‘Between Data and Senses: Architecture, Neuroscience and the Digital World
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1247992
• Publisher URL: http://roar.uel.ac.uk/5813/1/Proceedings_Data%20and%20Senses_E-Book_978-0-9935963-3-9%20%286%29.pdf#%5B%7B%22num%22%3A53%2C%22gen%22%3A0%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22XYZ%22%7D%2C104%2C389%2C0%5D