Urban, squares, piazzas and parks have for millennia been a critical social space to connect citizens, but what is their role in the 21st century? The studio began by exploring four facets that define our era: the realisation that we are living in an ‘Post-Digital Age’; the opportunities and challenges of living in highly urbanised cities; the concerns brought on by climate change; and the new reality of global pandemics.

Students explored these in context of public urban places examining their role, how people use them, or how would people like to use them, and how they can be places to bring people together. Students then investigated sites and contexts in their cities, to develop design propositions for what a socially connected urban place can be in the 21st century.