Investigating the Role of Situated Public Displays and Hyperlocal Content on Place-Making

Our urban environments are increasingly being outfitted with various forms of digital media, such as electronic billboards, public displays and interactive lighting. While their deployment is commonly motivated by commercial and functional objectives, the impact on the urban fabric is often neglected. However, as public displays become situated in their environment and content becomes hyperlocal, they contribute to the place-making process and become a medium for local communication and information. In this article, we build upon an analysis of two recent case studies to propose four sets of design considerations for situated public displays in urban space. We argue that public displays should provide mechanisms to (1) warrant hyperlocal relevance of the messages that are communicated, (2) build a sense of trust from the surrounding community, (3) allow citizens to reflect on the meaning and functionality, and (4) elicit enriched experiences of the environment they are situated in.