On Cities and People: Data Visualization in Public Space as a Tool for Communication and Engagement
Abstract: The paper focuses on the use of data visualizations in public spaces as a tool for effective communication of complex data and information. It also discusses the possibilities of public participation and engagement in data interventions in public spaces. The paper links two case studies. The first research was conducted in 2023 as part of the author's bachelor thesis and addresses the motivations and goals of creators of data visualizations in public space. Based on in-depth semi-structured interviews with creators from different socio-environmental contexts, it was found that the main motivation of these creators is, among other things, to give data back to people, to communicate complex phenomena and to brighten up the public space. The second research deals with the authors' intervention in the urban space of Brno, specifically on Vachova Street, which was transformed into a pedestrian zone from June to October 2024. The intervention consisted of placing large-scale physical data visualizations created using chalk temporary paint directly on the roadway in this space and observing passersby's interactions and conducting semi-structured interviews with them. The data visualizations were based on an analysis of data collected between June and August 2024 using an online questionnaire, which explored the opinions of the general public on the transformation of the street as well as wider issues of living in an urban environment. The results of this intervention suggest that physical data visualizations in public space can act as a means to make data and information visible and communicable, encouraging social dialogue and opening up space for self-reflection and contemplation for passers-by. At the same time, however, this form of intervention also revealed that it is, despite everything, easily overlooked by some passers-by, and also pointed to a certain vulnerability of the creator when realizing visualizations in an open and dynamic urban space. This paper reflects on the connection between these two case studies and discusses the potential of data visualizations as a tool for communicating complex information in public space, including their limitations and challenges in real urban environments.
