The civic horse

Author:	Israel h cola ( studio chi )
London, uk, 2020

Purpose	Activation	Interconnection	Collaborating
	Raise Awareness	Educate	Visualize Needs
	Simulate Impact of Decisions	Decision Making	Designing
Co-Creation	Co-Analysis	Co-Design	Co-Implementation
	Co-Maintenance	Co-Monitoring
Outcome	Decision Making	Knowledge	Assessment
	Design	Inclusion	Awareness
	Partnership

Mechanics	Alternative Reality	Role Play	Rule Based Play
	Location Based	Simulations	Mapping
	Geolocation	Hypothesis	Metagame
Tech&Tools	Analoge Tangibles	AR / VR	Audio Visual
	Data AI	Data Collection/Visualization	Digital Interface
	Mobile
Aesthetics	Sensation	Imagination	Assemblage
	Physical Activity / Construction	Realism

Scale	Metropolitan	City	District
	Neighbourhood	Street	Undefined
Audience	Community	Planning Expert	Audience Stakeholders
	Policy Makers
Scope	Individual	Small Group	Small Group
	Crowd	Pre-Defined

We want to boost community engagement through a playful urban artefact that identifies issues and opportunities, promotes participation and connects civic initiatives across neighbourhoods.

To achieve this we propose a Catalyst/Accelerator for Community Initiatives -'THE CIVIC HORSE' (aka #TCH): an itinerant Micro Civic Space that creates a temporary arena of interaction, discussion and collective imagination.

#TCH is a Collaborative and Networked Physical Experience that exists both in the streets and in a digital platform, where users/citizens can decide on:

a/ Its urban Location –in a sort of online strategic ‘Chess game’,

and

b/ Its formal configuration or Version (number and arrangement of Components) –an urban scale three-dimensional ‘Puzzle’ that changes depending on the site characteristics and input from local participants.

By placing it in varying strategic locations, #TCH acts as an Attractor that draws the attention of all local stakeholders to a certain space or building, boosting quick consultation that lead to meaningful civic initiatives. Its formal configuration (version) sets a specific interaction/dialogue with existing buildings or open spaces, highlighting positive and negative features of these assets.

Once #TCH is configured, assembled and installed in a temporary location, users will use this meanwhile civic space to establish connections; arrange meetups, events and workshops; expose community issues and opportunities; and debate on the present and future of their neighbourhoods, while co-designing the space in a more playful, inclusive and collaborative manner.

All this information –along with posts, photos, likes and ratings- is continuously recorded and updated in the map-based digital platform, gradually building up a collective data-base made of local stories, memories, challenges, reflections, opportunities and proposals.

This will organically generate articulated and coordinated communal programmes and proposals, with which citizens can approach councils, institutions, funding platforms or private stakeholders from a firmer position; hence strengthening local communities while positively transforming their physical environment.

#TCH is also an urban/civic Educator: each of its components represents a set of basic urban/architectural/spatial functions with the power to improve the existing environment, such as:

- promote more seating and interaction areas,

- increase accessibility,

- generate relief from urban chaos and pollution (visual, acoustic, atmospheric),

- enhance sense of protection and safety,

- give easy and accurate live information of the neighbourhood (way finding, livability indicators, energy consumption, waste management etc.),

- foster a more playful and engaging urban experience, such as creating customisable urban trails linking points of interest, exhibitions or events,

- introduce more greenery and provide basic education on local urban food growth, etc.