ABSTRACT
Globally, cities have experienced unprecedented expansion and transformation during the past 50 years. During this time the public realm’s social value as an instigator of a city’s identity has witnessed considerable change. In light of the rise of those global hybrid spaces, often referred to as ‘media cities’, ‘urban media environments’, ‘informational city’, ‘smart cities’ or ‘relational space’, the need for a unique urban identity is increasingly imperative. Contemporary cities can be considered as the core of innovation in all aspects of life, including the social and cultural. Social inclusion and diversity in the city can be promoted through the enhancement of accessibility to, and the encouragement of, citizen participation in cultural activities. Urban media art focuses on the creation of spaces for embodied experience in order to transform the sensory and perceptual setting of an environment and promote ‘sense of place’ and space personalization.
