Exploring the Role of 'Visual Catalysts' on Influencing People's Attraction and Use of Place

FINDINGS SIGNIFICANCE FOR RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1 Do ‘visual catalysts’, as a form <strong>of</strong> temporary place-based intervention, influence <strong>the</strong>
attraction and use <strong>of</strong> place?
The findings show that ‘visual catalysts’ have <strong>the</strong> potential to influence people’s attraction
and use <strong>of</strong> place, and in <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> this study it has <strong>the</strong> potential to fundamentally transform
<strong>the</strong> experience <strong>of</strong> a place. The place observed in <strong>the</strong> study transformed from one which was
primarily a transitional zone (one where people moved through to reach a certain destination)
to one which became a destination itself. It also transformed <strong>the</strong> interest <strong>of</strong> place in a social
context; <strong>the</strong> behaviours <strong>of</strong> people were influenced by <strong>the</strong> VIVID festival itself, which in turn
influences <strong>the</strong> attraction and use <strong>of</strong> place.
The findings present <strong>the</strong> attraction and use <strong>of</strong> place changing in two ways: physically and
socially. The ‘visual catalysts’ <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> observed case studies for <strong>the</strong> VIVID festival presented an
opportunity for people to shift how <strong>the</strong>y use a space. The purpose <strong>of</strong> VIVID is to engage people
with ideas and places through illumination by establishing a range <strong>of</strong> different interventions
around Sydney. As such, <strong>the</strong>se interventions change <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> a space, and thus change
<strong>the</strong> function. During VIVID, <strong>the</strong>re were more people that observed around <strong>the</strong>m due to <strong>the</strong>
attraction and appeal <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> interventions; this led to <strong>the</strong> experience <strong>of</strong> place becoming much
more centred on <strong>the</strong> experience <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> user at a human scale. Before <strong>the</strong> intervention, <strong>the</strong>
site acts as a space to move to and from, and it dominated by large architecture and vehicular
traffic. Through <strong>the</strong> artistic creations and interventions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> human scale ‘visual catalysts’ this
redefined <strong>the</strong> space to become one at a more intimate, manageable scale. Hence, this is also
likely one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> reasons why people were less interested in <strong>the</strong> outlook and viewpoints <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
place across <strong>the</strong> harbour as <strong>the</strong>y initially were before <strong>the</strong> placemaking intervention as <strong>the</strong>y can
relate to <strong>the</strong> experience <strong>of</strong> place at a greater human level.
In a social context, <strong>the</strong> attraction and use <strong>of</strong> place also was influenced in a transformative way;
predominantly due to <strong>the</strong> number and behaviours <strong>of</strong> people when in a crowd. As discussed,
VIVID is an event where people travel from all parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world to see it. It has millions <strong>of</strong>
people that attend annually, and has grown in popularity and scope substantially in recent
years. This aura and reputation brings with it a sense <strong>of</strong> behaviour that is expected when one
goes to see VIVID, and this was seen in <strong>the</strong> findings. People during <strong>the</strong> VIVID event were more
likely to behave as a cohort <strong>of</strong> people, a reflection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> expected social norms <strong>of</strong> being in a
crowd, and were more likely to be more engaged with <strong>the</strong> space as <strong>the</strong>y were expecting to
observe and see things prior to <strong>the</strong>ir arrival.
Additionally, <strong>the</strong> function <strong>of</strong> a crowd changing <strong>the</strong> experience <strong>of</strong> place was also a substantial
finding <strong>of</strong> this research. The number <strong>of</strong> people in <strong>the</strong> space was dramatically higher during <strong>the</strong>
VIVID festival than any o<strong>the</strong>r time period observed, and this changes <strong>the</strong> dynamic <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> space.
People had to move slower, had more time to take in <strong>the</strong>ir surroundings, and generally had to
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