DRS2012 Bangkok Proceedings Vol 4 - Design Research Society

Making Sense of Interventions in Public Places as Drivers of Urban Renewal
Figure 1 Typology of urban interventions
Source: Sandra Viña (2012)
The horizontal axis in figure 1 shows the approach of each intervention as being
dialogical, participative and reflective. Firstly, every intervention in the urban space
whether accomplished by humans or through artefacts is dialogical by nature because an
exchange of ideas occurs between two or more bodies. The second approach is the
participative intervention which is based on how interactions are carried out between
humans and human-artefact, this communication may influence the public to take action
in it. The characteristic of a participative intervention is by nature open and trying to build
dialectic with the public over time that could benefit both parties. Also, a participative
intervention aims to engage the public to take part in something for sharing a common
space. Finally, the reflective intervention deepens the character of the dialogical and
participative intervention because it aims to produce thoughts, reflection about something
or someone that relates to the intervention. It is characterized by the effect of thought and
concern that affects the person experiencing the intervention.
Moreover, as each intervention deal with specific issues and aims, we can find an array
of interventionists such as citizen designers, professional amateur and, professionals
(Fuad-Luke, 2009). City designers can be found in interventions dealing with commercial,
financial and political issues such as strikes and marches. Professional amateur deal with
artistic, cultural and recreational interventions, as they need to have a degree of expertise
on what they are offering to the public. Professionals are well studied and engaged in an
activity of matter with great competence. In this paper we show two design intervention
cases realized by designers and design researchers. The categorization of citizen
designers, professional amateur and, professionals attempt to differentiate between
functions, processes, outcomes and objectives of interventions. For example, design
interventions may focus on specific design tools that drive particular interactions and
enhance the communication between people and artifact. While other interventions may
come to existence because of a commercial or financial need. In the following sections I
will illustrate various interventions, their purpose, and effect within the city environment.
These cases take place in the public places of Caracas, Venezuela, and Helsinki,
Finland. The interventions were observed and documented with still camera and note
fields. Moreover, the design interventions were also documented with video camera and
interviews to the public were carried out.
The Financial and Commercial Intervention
The financial or commercial interventionist aims at improving his/her monetary resources
by selling and buying products and services in the public space. It is an activity mainly of
commercial and monetary exchange carry out by street vendors constitute by calling
service points, shoe makers, car watchers, parking helpers, food kiosks and craftsmen
among others. Figure 2 shows a pretty common intervention and service offered in many
public places in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. As mobile phones become more
utilized by people, local services also develop. People usually have troubles with mobile
phones. Sometimes the mobile device does not work because it runs out of battery, the
prepaid card ends and another is not easily available, or the prepaid card balance is not
enough to call to another mobile phone server. The goal of this commercial intervention is
to rent different servers’ mobile phones to people who need to make a phone call. The
“customer” is charged by the amount of minutes talked. In most cases, these local based
calling centers interventions also have a fixed-line phone. This service based dissensual
intervention is originated in a need to increase the interventionists’ monetary income. The
intervention is innovative by nature because it is a new phenomenon in the public realm
and a usable and utilized design. Moreover, it is a provocation brought to the streets
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