Urban Play
Make-Believe, Technology, and Space
By Fabio Duarte, Ricardo Alvarez | Publisher: MIT Press
About the book
Why technology is most transformative when it is playful, and innovative spatial design happens only when designers are both tinkerers and dreamers.
In Urban Play, Fábio Duarte and Ricardo Álvarez argue that the merely functional aspects of technology may undermine its transformative power. Technology is powerful not when it becomes optimally functional, but while it is still playful and open to experimentation. It is through play--in the sense of acting for one's own enjoyment rather than to achieve a goal--that we explore new territories, create new devices and languages, and transform ourselves. Only then can innovative spatial design create resonant spaces that go beyond functionalism to evoke an emotional response in those who use them.
The authors show how creativity emerges in moments of instability, when a new technology overthrows an established one, or when internal factors change a technology until it becomes a different technology. Exploring the role of fantasy in design, they examine Disney World and its outsize influence on design and on forms of social interaction beyond the entertainment world. They also consider Las Vegas and Dubai, desert cities that combine technology with fantasies of pleasure and wealth. Video games and interactive media, they show, infuse the design process with interactivity and participatory dynamics, leaving spaces open to variations depending on the users' behavior. Throughout, they pinpoint the critical moments when technology plays a key role in reshaping how we design and experience spaces.
Editions of Urban Play
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780262045346
- EBook
- ISBN 9780262362269
Read an Excerpt
Why technology is most transformative when it is playful, and innovative spatial design happens only when designers are both tinkerers and dreamers.
In Urban Play, Fábio Duarte and Ricardo Álvarez argue that the merely functional aspects of technology may undermine its transformative power. Technology is powerful not when it becomes optimally functional, but while it is still playful and open to experimentation. It is through play--in the sense of acting for one's own enjoyment rather than to achieve a goal--that we explore new territories, create new devices and languages, and transform ourselves. Only then can innovative spatial design create resonant spaces that go beyond functionalism to evoke an emotional response in those who use them.
The authors show how creativity emerges in moments of instability, when a new technology overthrows an established one, or when internal factors change a technology until it becomes a different technology. Exploring the role of fantasy in design, they examine Disney World and its outsize influence on design and on forms of social interaction beyond the entertainment world. They also consider Las Vegas and Dubai, desert cities that combine technology with fantasies of pleasure and wealth. Video games and interactive media, they show, infuse the design process with interactivity and participatory dynamics, leaving spaces open to variations depending on the users' behavior. Throughout, they pinpoint the critical moments when technology plays a key role in reshaping how we design and experience spaces.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Urban Play about?
Why technology is most transformative when it is playful, and innovative spatial design happens only when designers are both tinkerers and dreamers.
In Urban Play, Fábio Duarte and Ricardo Álvarez argue that the merely functional aspects of technology may undermine its transformative power. Technology is powerful not when it becomes optimally functional, but while it is still playful and open to experimentation. It is through play--in the sense of acting for one's own enjoyment rather than to achieve a goal--that we explore new territories, create new devices and languages, and transform ourselves. Only then can innovative spatial design create resonant spaces that go beyond functionalism to evoke an emotional response in those who use them.
The authors show how creativity emerges in moments of instability, when a new technology overthrows an established one, or when internal factors change a technology until it becomes a different technology. Exploring the role of fantasy in design, they examine Disney World and its outsize influence on design and on forms of social interaction beyond the entertainment world. They also consider Las Vegas and Dubai, desert cities that combine technology with fantasies of pleasure and wealth. Video games and interactive media, they show, infuse the design process with interactivity and participatory dynamics, leaving spaces open to variations depending on the users' behavior. Throughout, they pinpoint the critical moments when technology plays a key role in reshaping how we design and experience spaces.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Urban Play?
Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Cultural and media studies > Media studies
Where can I read a sample of Urban Play?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780262045346
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Urban Play?
Fabio Duarte, Ricardo Alvarez
Who is the Publisher of the book Urban Play?
MIT Press
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Urban Play is available as paperback(ISBN 9780262045346) and ebook(ISBN 9780262362269)
Where can I buy Urban Play online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Urban Play from below
Where can I buy Urban Play?