ABSTRACT
The exponential growth of cities globally in conjunction with expanding social and ecological challenges and the increasing impact of digital technologies demands a renewed understanding of public space as a means to catalyze “the making” of place in close relationship to the contextual urban conditions. Urban place-making that utilizes built space to abstract and visualize data and infrastructure networks should allow for human interaction and interpretation as they offer the opportunity to create context-conscious spatial connections within participatory environments amongst an engaged citizenry. Building on the rich history of the city’s water management infrastructure, the DATA Field project draws its inspiration from the desire to establish a connection between the city’s life-defining topography and its intricate system of pumping stations essential to the continued existence of the city within its current footprint. The users have the opportunity to individually and collectively interpret DATA Field’s physical space and alter their relationships with the surrounding environment.
