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

follow <strong>the</strong> social expectations that being in a crowded space produces. This lead to two main
changes in <strong>the</strong> experience <strong>of</strong> place; it became more intimate, whilst it also became a shared
experience. People revelled toge<strong>the</strong>r in <strong>the</strong> increased attraction and use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> place.
2 Is <strong>the</strong>re evidence <strong>of</strong> a sustained interest in <strong>the</strong> location <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ‘visual catalyst’ after <strong>the</strong>
intervention has ceased?
The finding show that <strong>the</strong>re is not a strong sustained interest in <strong>the</strong> location <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ‘visual
catalyst’ after <strong>the</strong> intervention has concluded. However, <strong>the</strong> findings do show that it potentially
can leave a ‘lingering’ effect <strong>of</strong> certain attributes which remain. Particularly, <strong>the</strong> findings present
some insightful findings about <strong>the</strong> variation and consistencies in <strong>the</strong> patterns <strong>of</strong> behaviour
observed during and after <strong>the</strong> festival, yet for <strong>the</strong> most part <strong>the</strong> experience <strong>of</strong> place is changed
back to what it was like prior to <strong>the</strong> creative placemaking interventions.
The majority <strong>of</strong> attributes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> attraction and use <strong>of</strong> place reverted back to pre-VIVID festival
patterns – such as what particular landmarks and features people were observing, how <strong>the</strong>y
moved through <strong>the</strong> space, and what <strong>the</strong>y chose to engage with when in <strong>the</strong> space. This in turn
changed back <strong>the</strong> interest <strong>of</strong> place accordingly to what it was like prior to <strong>the</strong> VIVID festival;
one which was dominated as being a thoroughfare with little interaction or interest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
immediate lace. This is noted as <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> people that came to <strong>the</strong> space, <strong>the</strong> behaviours
and actions <strong>the</strong>y undertook, and <strong>the</strong> overall conditioned elements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> space had reverted
back to what <strong>the</strong>y were like prior to <strong>the</strong> VIVID temporary place-based interventions were being
exhibited. As such, this suggests that whatever interest <strong>of</strong> place that occurred in <strong>the</strong> period
when VIVID was active may be mostly transient, and is difficult to allow for a sustained interest
to occur beyond <strong>the</strong> conclusion <strong>of</strong> temporary place-based interventions.
However, <strong>the</strong>re was also a slight increase in <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> people who observed, showed
signs <strong>of</strong> affection and spent time in <strong>the</strong> place after <strong>the</strong> festival compared to before it occurred.
This finding suggests that <strong>the</strong>re may be some residual enduring effects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> interest that
occur in that space which can conjure positive affiliations with place.
However, whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>se are a consequential effect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> VIVID festival is difficult to determine
as it may be a result <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> transition from cooler months to hotter ones, as well as o<strong>the</strong>r
various external factors that were seen to occur in <strong>the</strong> site such as <strong>the</strong> prevalence <strong>of</strong> security
and barricades.
Although <strong>the</strong> interventions may not have created a substantial change in interest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
location <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ‘visual catalysts’ <strong>the</strong>y were in, it is possible that <strong>the</strong> VIVID festival on a broader
scale could have changed <strong>the</strong> interest <strong>of</strong> Sydney with long term consequences. To explore this
more, a discussion with <strong>the</strong> existing literature is in <strong>the</strong> following chapter.
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