Kirralie Houghton

Integrating ICT into the planning process: impacts, opportunities and challenges

One of the most significant lifestyle and technological trends of the twenty-first century is the emergence and increased ubiquity of mobile information and communication technologies (mICT). The potential of mICT raises critical questions for planners, potentially enabling citizen engagement and enhancing the urban planning process through facilitating communication, interaction and collaboration between planning professionals and the public. To date, although technology has become integral to all functions within our urban environment, little is known about how urban planners perceive mICT and its current and potential future role in the planning process. This research explores this knowledge gap, via empirical data gathered from town planners of various sectors based in Queensland. The findings illustrate that these planners believed ICT offered strong potential to share information, creatively build community, connect with users of public spaces and adapt places in swift and temporary ways. This paper explores the issues of integrating mICT into planning practice and the affordances that these technologies offer for community consultation and placemaking. The paper aims to spark a discussion to find the best ways to overcome key barriers to making ICT part of the daily practice of planning professionals, including knowledge, skill, agency and time constraints.

The continuing relevance of the library as a third place for users and non-users of IT: the case of Canada Bay

The purpose of this paper is to consider how libraries support the development of community networks both physically and digitally. To do this, a case-study methodology was employed, including a combination of data about the library and qualitative interviews with library users considering their experience of the library. This paper proposes that libraries act as ‘third places’ spatially connecting people; libraries also build links with online media and play a critical role in inclusively connecting non-technology users with the information on the Internet and digital technology more generally. The paper establishes the value of libraries in the digital age and recommends that libraries actively seek ways to develop links between non-technology users and activity on the Internet. It addresses the need to reach these types of non-technology users in different ways. Further, it suggests that libraries utilise their positioning as third places to create broader community networks, to support local communities beyond existing users and beyond the library precinct.

From the Guest Editors: Urban Acupuncture

The term urban acupuncture refers to a concept where a localised intervention or treatment is used for the revitalisation and (re)creation of cities by targeting strategic points, poking or activating networks into action. These actions impart stimuli for further responses and opportunity through small projects rather than large developments. Urban Acupuncture activates dynamic transformative forces of the place and focuses on the maintenance of a healthy situation rather than on the cure of problems, and thus metaphorically resonates with the principles of the practice of acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine...

Urban Acupuncture: Hybrid Social and Technological Practices for Hyperlocal Placemaking

Abstract This paper considers an emerging planning practice that uses networked connections to interact with urban places and re-create enlivened cities. The paper presents “urban acupuncture” as a new planning approach that broadens communication and strategically targets interventions across the city. Defined as an approach, which, through the use of digital social networks and interactions, involves citizens and planners in place activations in order to stimulate and reinvigorate place, thus creating meaningful relationships between citizens and their urban settings. This paper uses the UR[BNE] Brisbane Festival 2012 as a qualitative case study of urban acupuncture, best defined as a hyper-localized healing treatment through place activation to enliven and recreate cities. It examines the challenges faced and opportunities embraced by a network of urban professionals. Their aim was to activate the underused urban spaces of central Brisbane through the festivals activities and events. The findings identify the key elements required to design public spaces using socially and technologically networked interactions.

Working from the Other Office: Trialling Co-Working Spaces for Public Servants: Trialling Co-Working Spaces for Public Servants

The proliferation of digital connectivity and mobility is having a profound impact on nomadic and collaborative work practices in our cities. In the past few years, we have witnessed a shift in the way that organisational entities in both the private and public sector put emphasis on the allocation and use of office space. In this paper, we report on our evaluation of a trial of coworking spaces also referred to as Flexible Work Centres (FWC) led by the Queensland State Government. The trial provides insights into such changes towards new work practices. The trial tested how FWCs can be used by Queensland Government employees, and its impact on productivity, staff retention and work-life balance of employees. The 47 trial participants from 10 different government departments completed a series of four surveys and were invited to keep diaries of their impressions and experiences. Supervisors were involved in a series of focus groups to reflect on the trial at the end of the twelve-month period. The benefits of the flexible work arrangement and specifically the provision of an alternative work venue were highly praised and appreciated by participants and supervisors. There were noted key qualities of staff and work types that this arrangement works best for, and trust in employees was paramount. The positive results of the trial saw a continuation of the provision of the flexible workspace arrangement and investigations into further extensions of the program.

Congress papers from the Planning Institute of Australia 2011 National Congress

Abstract The following five papers were presented and peer reviewed for the PIA National Congress in Hobart in March 2011. These papers have been included because the editors feel theyare important and should be available to a broad audience. However please note that theydid not go through the academic peer review process for Australian Planner.