#wltm

We held an ‘Urban Commons’ special of our regular Would Like to meet networking events at KWMC at the end of January. The evening brought together artists, coders, creative technologists, data experts and any one curious to know what citizen sensing is all about. On arrival people were asked to stick coloured dots to their name badge to show others what special skills they have; coding, photography etc. This acted as a great conversation starter.

After grabbing a free beer and a handful of nibbles people then entered a studio full of interactive exhibits; all involving sensors in someway. A speaker that span in response to your movements playing tunes and flashing lights, a fridge which asked why you chose the food you do and swallowed your answers on ping pong balls, a live data map of Bristol, a giant eye following you around the room and flipping pancakes to introduce you the high tech future of healthcare! ‘A sensory smorgasbord’ as one of the Hack Space exhibitors called it.  

KWMC Junior Digital producers, University of Bristol, SPHERE and Bristol Hack Space were all manning exhibits and engaging in stimulating conversation. KWMC, Bristol City Council, Ideas for Change and Bristol is Open representatives then took to the floor to explain the project a bit more before we all delved back into lively debate.

Here we heard how the project was countering the ‘Big-Tech’ top down approach to smart cities and instead was invested in ‘creating a new participatory urban commons’.  We found out that the project would be bringing local people and technical specialists together to start imagining how sensor technologies and open data sets could help improve: the quality of rented housing, use of parks and green spaces and business for local & independent traders.