How Blogging Changed the Way I See Cities: Instagram Carousel

This Instagram carousel explores how the past semester has influenced my interpretation of urban design as well as my understanding of urban areas through my blogging experience and my work in the studio. After working on topics such as hostile architecture, accessibility, mobility, and the influence of social media on urban places, to name a few, I’m beginning to see how urban design ultimately influences how people experience cities.

Initially, I viewed cities as three-dimensional physical buildings. However, following academic work, case studies, and personal reflection in a classroom setting, I have begun to develop a more holistic view of urban environments, taking into account social, political, and cultural influences on the design of public spaces. I discovered through my research on hostile architecture that design elements (e.g., cameras, fencing, and movement paths) significantly contribute to inclusivity and help determine who feels comfortable using public spaces. Additionally, social media is now influencing how images and experiences of cities are created.

The result is that my blog will be reflective of the Instagram carousel and consist of the following:

– How urban design affects people’s movement, accessibility, and social connection.
– How hostile architecture affects accessibility of public spaces.
– How social media and digital culture impact the urban environment.
– How physical arrangement (i.e., movement/flow, space, etc.) creates a space that promotes engagement of the users within that space.

The carousel provided some key points about urban spaces. Urban spaces should be seen through the lens of the social, political, and cultural elements that have shaped them over the years instead of looking at them through a functional-only perspective. The decisions made by urban designers have a great impact on how persons travel through and experience a city, either positively or negatively. A public space can create an environment that helps to build an atmosphere that encourages individuals to participate in that space, resulting in a more socially inclusive environment or the opposite. Increasingly, social media is also influencing how urban spaces are visually represented and how urban spaces are perceived. Critical thinking, reflective practice, and visual communication associated with urban design can be expressed through blogging and studio work any time or from any place.

Image credits:

All visualizations, renders, diagrams, and studio work were created by Dalya Aljaroudi.

You can view the Instagram carousel on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/maurbandesign/