The Region of Waterloo recently partnered with DATAlab, a research initiative at the School of Architecture at the University of Waterloo, on a unique exhibition entitled OnTheLine: A Gallery of Publicly Accessible Destinations in Waterloo Region. Through an innovative use of mapping and technology, OnTheLine converted the 200 iXpress transit route into a gallery connecting transit riders with the rich collection of local destinations located along the bus route, while simultaneously supporting the shaping of a collective identity for Waterloo Region. Now OnTheLine needs your help to further the collection of eDATA and build the collective identity of the Waterloo Region! Participating is easy: just tweet a photo with #otlgallery to identify your favourite destinations in our community and it will appear in the OnTheLine interactive maps.
OnTheLine Exhibition
The OnTheLine exhibition presented a transit-oriented cultural guide by highlighting and connecting transit riders with local arts, culture, architecture, heritage, commerce, recreation and entertainment activities along the 200 iXpress bus route. With 15 stops and a frequency of 10-15 minutes, the iXpress is a fast and efficient public transit system serving the three historic city centers within the Tri-City corridor and the University of Waterloo. The line’s geographic coverage and its high level of service embed the transit line within the daily life of the region and therefore provide for a dynamic site for the exhibition. The exhibition began on July 4 in two presentation formats and will continue until October 31. At each bus shelter along the 200 iXpress line you can find an OnTheLine map of the area surrounding the station, which highlights the destinations available within 800 metres. Walking to the furthest point takes about 15 minutes. Along the way, you can use your smartphone to access our online map to help guide your way. A gallery installation at the Kitchener Studio located on 44 Gaukel Street in downtown Kitchener, which closed on September 1, displayed all of the OnTheLine maps. The maps gave an overview of all the destinations along the entire route in one place, and printed guides for each of the stations were available as well as an interactive online map on a big screen.
Shaping a Regional Identity
In addition to promoting the potentials of public transit in developing the region, the project explores ways in which public participation and community engagement can be paired with transit as facilitators in the further shaping of Waterloo Region. In this regard, two complementary sets of data contribute to the unified presentation of destinations on the line. On the one hand, the project presents a curated and centralized set of local cultural destinations and activities that have been assembled from a suite of local information resources such as Grand Social and Doors Open. On the other hand, a more emergent set of destinations will be presented whereby the public is able to submit their own entries to the list of presented destinations. This emerging data set contributes to a growing directory of local information, engaging a diverse range of participants as project collaborators. These two datasets, the curated and the emergent, work together in shaping and presenting a collective identify for the region. The project consists of physical installations and digital interfaces. Utilizing bus shelters, buses, a centralized project display in downtown Kitchener, and an interactive website as vehicles for information transmission, the project focuses on 800 metre walking sheds around each transit stop by highlighting the destinations within the targeted area. Using a combination of posters, physical installations and a web-based application, OnTheLine both distributes and collects information about activities, events, and destinations. Postcards and printed guides promote and guide the exhibition along the iXpress corridor and direct the public to the participatory web application. In addition to permanent local features, the exhibition will showcase hotspots for local festivals taking place over the summer months. In particular, OnTheLine presents related events as part of the Building Waterloo Region Exhibition, which celebrate Waterloo Region’s culture and heritage.
A Prototype for Future Transit Initiatives
As a prototypical strategy for integrating social and cultural information within a transportation system, the project serves as a template for embedding future public transit initiatives within their urban and cultural contexts. OnTheLine is part of the Building Waterloo Region festival with support from the Region of Waterloo and the School of Architecture at the University of Waterloo. The project is conceived and developed by DATAlab, a research initiative focused on expanding information-centric design methodologies for the built world. DATAlab, co-founded by Mona El Khafif and Maya Przybylski, runs out of the School of Architecture at the University of Waterloo.
About DATAlab
DATAlab is a research group co-directed by Mona El Khafif and Maya Przybylski based at the University of Waterloo, School of Architecture. The lab is focused on expanding information-centric design methodologies for the built world. Digitally accessible datasets continue to grow in both size and number, in large part, due to the ubiquitous gathering potentials of mobile devices, software logs, and remote sensing technologies. Access to data describing countless metrics, such as flows of people, goods, information and capital, environmental conditions, demographic properties, and personal income, suggests an expanded capacity for understanding and mobilizing our physical environment. As a result, data-centric methodologies represent an active frontier in design-research at a variety of scales, ranging from object to urban design. While in recent years big data management and visualization have generated a tremendous body of work, DATAlab is particularly focused on identifying the next generation of design methods and tools that critically reflect a meaningful utilization of data for the design of our physical environment.
Contacts
Maya Przybylski mmprzybylski@uwaterloo.ca 519.888.4567 x27618
Mona El Khafif melkhafif@uwaterloo.ca 6479204737
Exhibition
The Kitchener Studio (144 Gaukel Street, Kitchener) July 5 – September 1, 2014
Region of Waterloo Administrative Headquarters (150 Frederick Street, Kitchener) October 2014 ongoing
Bus Shelter Installation July 5th – October 31st
Credits A Project by DATAlab University of Waterloo School of Architecture
Co-curator and design lead: Mona El Khafif, Maya Przybylski
Students: Zak Fish, Lea Koch, Dan Malka, Thomas Noussis, Jake Read
Sponsors and Partners
Region of Waterloo, GRT, iON, University of Waterloo School of Architecture, DATAlab
Data Sources
Creative Enterprise Initiative’s Grand Social, Doors Open, City of Waterloo, City of Kitchener, City of Cambridge, Yellow Pages and Geofabrik
Link www.otl.gallery
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