In CyberParks, the Working Groups are in the centre of research activities.
The Project is organised in 5 transdisciplinary working groups (WG), each one designed for gathering the best research and information available, collecting examples and experiences, sharing knowledge and experiences on different aspects of the interaction of ICT and public spaces, analysing those, drawing lessons learnt and preparing the outcomes.
Digital methods explores (recent and novel) ICT-tools to research the use of, and user-behaviour in public spaces. It will assess scientific, technical and sociological information (or opportunities) relevant for understanding the interweaving of people in (and with) public spaces.
Urban ethnography deals with cultural and sociological fieldwork using varying theoretical and methodological approaches.
It will bring together knowledge about the use of new media technologies in public spaces from an ethnographic point of view and set up the understanding of the public spaces and human behaviour in the context of new media. In order to understand how best to connect technology and public spaces, we will observe both uses of technology within space, but also user-behaviour in that space not linked to technology.
Conceptual reflection provides room for reflection on both philosophical and methodological approaches and evidence informed practice to understand the complex relationships between contemporary values, habits and needs on one side, functions and potentials of public spaces for quality of life on the other, new media development and potentials and how it is or should be reflected in the urban fabric and place design.
Creating CyberPark deals with design research and the nurturing of innovative and creative open space design practices.
Using the outcomes from Working Groups 1, 2 and 3 this working group will bring together challenges the new media put to the test for urban and landscape designers, social, behavioural and health researchers, and will search for innovative answers for future development of urban open spaces.
Networking & dissemination - as a think-tank this WG is in charge of tailoring and transferring knowledge, organising workshops, young experts' platform, formulation of research perspectives and follow ups.
The organisation of work and coordination in these five working groups will allow focusing on specific scientific questions and research. The WGs are strongly linked, transversal collaborations for sharing findings and short term scientific meetings will allow a feedback from the involved experts and researchers. Stakeholders and policy makers will be invited to share knowledge within WGs.
COST is supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020