Sara Heitlinger

Sustainable HCI for grassroots urban food-growing communities

Mainstream food growing practices around the world call in to question our future food security, and in particular the sustainability of food consumption in urban centres. At the same time there has been a dramatic recent increase in grassroots urban food-growing communities in the UK and beyond. This paper looks at how research in sustainable human-computer interaction (HCI) can support better social and environmental practices through a focus on urban food-growing communities. In this paper we respond to recent work within sustainable HCI. We report on a field study at an urban city farm in inner London which took a participatory research approach with staff and volunteers. We discuss the values, needs and practices of the farm community which have emerged from the fieldwork. We conclude with a discussion of the implications and opportunities for designing with computational technology to help inform the conceptualisation of sustainable HCI and to serve as a resource for designers engaging with urban food-growing communities.

Socially engaged arts practice in HCI

Socially engaged methods are increasingly being used within HCI research, yet arts practice in this context has been little explored. HCI research that aligns with socially engaged arts practices encourages debate around societal challenges; for example discussion of issues surrounding the role of digital technology in sustainability, inclusion, community, identity and the politics of participation. Building on existing research, this workshop will bring together a diverse group of HCI researchers, artists and other creators whose work or interests align with socially engaged arts practice, to foster critical exploration and creative collaboration.

The talking plants: an interactive system for grassroots urban food-growing communities

We describe The Talking Plants, an accessible, intuitive and enjoyable interactive system for learning about plants: how to care for and prepare them, their medicinal and health qualities, and their histories. It was developed at Spitalfields City Farm, a community farm in inner east London. Visitors can approach the plants and use a watering-can augmented with RFID technology to hear them talk. The plant voices come from staff and volunteers, reflecting the diversity of the farm. The Talking Plants was developed as part of a wider research project that looks at sustainable HCI within the context of grassroots urban food-growing communities.

UbiComp for grassroots urban food-growing communities

In this paper we argue that research into ubiquitous computing for sustainability must move its focus beyond designing for individual consumer behaviours. Urban grassroots food-growing communities offer opportunities to learn about the role of participation, community, citizenship and collective action, where sustainability encompasses environmental, social and economic factors. We report on fieldwork at an urban community farm in east London, and initial trial of the Talking Plants Sale prototype, to support the values of the farm.

Connected seeds and sensors: co-designing internet of things for sustainable smart cities with urban food-growing communities

We present a case study of a participatory design project in the space of sustainable smart cities and Internet of Things. We describe our design process that led to the development of an interactive seed library that tells the stories of culturally diverse urban food growers, and networked environmental sensors from their gardens, as a way to support more sustainable food practices in the city. This paper contributes to an emerging body of empirical work within participatory design that seeks to involve citizens in the design of smart cities and Internet of Things, particularly in the context of marginalised and culturally diverse urban communities. It also contributes empirical work towards non-utilitarian approaches to sustainable smart cities through a discussion of designing for urban diversity and slowness.

Avoiding ecocidal smart cities: participatory design for more-than-human futures

The turn to participation in smart cities was intended to increase the involvement of diverse, often marginalised, citizens in the design and use of networked sensing technologies. However, ideals of activism, citizen engagement and democratisation through the co-design of networked technologies and services have been largely based on an understanding of urban space as separate from nature, and for human inhabitants alone. In current conditions of climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity, a human-centred perspective of cities is increasingly problematic. This workshop focuses on an expanded more-than-human perspective for cities, informed by studies in the Anthropocene in fields such as STS, geography, planning and design. We will interrogate how more-than-human perspectives and their resultant ethical, legal, and methodological concerns can shape participatory design practices and policies towards cohabitation, and push forward a cultural change in the agenda of sustainable smart cities, urban informatics, IoT, and design.