Fostering Knowledge About The Relationship Between Information And Communication Technologies And Public Spaces Supported By Strategies To Improve Their Use And Attractiveness (Cyberparks)
CyberParks’ main objective is to create a research platform on the relationship between Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the production of public open spaces, and their relevance to sustainable urban development. The impacts of this relationship will be explored from social, ecological and urban design perspectives.
ICT is a driving force, media and tool, which operates as a mediator between users and their virtual and real worlds. Public spaces have multiple functions, including social gathering places where outdoor interactions between people can occur and communication and information exchange can take place. ICTs cause and enable innovative outdoor social practices, which challenge spatial and social experts to use them in policies, methodologies, design and research to produce responsive and inclusive urban places.
CyberParks deals with opportunities and risks ICTs offer to the user, via the appreciation, design and usage of public spaces. It exploits the benefits of interweaving a green experience with digital engagement via sharing knowledge, experiences and ideas, and analysing public spaces.
COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a pan-European intergovernmental framework. Its mission is to enable break-through scientific and technological developments leading to new concepts and products and thereby contribute to strengthening Europe’s research and innovation capacities.
It allows researchers, engineers and scholars to jointly develop their own ideas and take new initiatives across all fields of science and technology, while promoting multi- and interdisciplinary approaches. COST aims at fostering a better integration of less research intensive countries to the knowledge hubs of the European Research Area. The COST Association, an International not-for-profit Association under Belgian Law, integrates all management, governing and administrative functions necessary for the operation of the framework. The COST Association has currently 36 Member Countries. www.cost.eu