Visual Communication in Urban Design and Planning: The Impact of Mediatisation(s) on the Construction of Urban Futures

Abstract

<p>This editorial introduces the subject matter of the thematic issue, which includes a diverse collection of contributions from authors in various disciplines including, history, architecture, planning, sociology and geography. Within the context of mediatisation processes—and the increased use of ever-expanding I&C technologies—communication has undergone profound changes. As such, this thematic issue will discuss how far (digital) media tools and their social uses in urban design and planning have impacted the visualisation of urban imaginations and how urban futures are thereby communicatively produced. Referring to an approach originating from the media and communication sciences, the authors begin with an outline of the core concepts of mediatisation and digitalisation. They suggest how the term ‘visualisation’ can be conceived and, against this background, based upon the sociological approach of communicative constructivism, a proposal is offered, which diverges from traditional methods of conceptualising visualisations: Instead, it highlights the need for a greater consideration towards the active role of creators (e.g., planners) and recipients (e.g., stakeholders) as well as the distinctive techniques of communication involved (e.g., a specific digital planning tools). The authors in this issue illustrate how communicative construction, particularly the visual construction of urban futures, can be understood, depending upon the kind of social actors as well as the means of communication involved. The editorial concludes with a summary of the main arguments and core results presented.</p>

Rendering Affective Atmospheres: The Visual Construction of Spatial Knowledge About Urban Development Projects

“…Renderings are aestheticizing digital visualisations that have become possible in the context of digitalization processes in urban planning and design. They have become increasingly common in the meantime and have changed the way urban development projects are visualized and communicated (see Christmann et al, 2020). To better understand how renderings can influence the spatial knowledge of stakeholders (such as potential investors, tenants, the public, etc.…”

Renderings

“…Die Renderings selber stellen also eine kommunikative Schnittstelle zwischen verschiedenen Akteur*innen in Planungsprozessen dar (s. bspw. Christmann et al 2020). In der Praxis werden Renderings in Bezug auf ihren Realismus kritisch diskutiert und sind teilweise umstritten.…”

Chancen und Herausforderungen in ländlichen Räumen durch Digitalisierung

“…Gleichzeitig eröffnet sich die Chance, an aktuelle theoretische Debatten der Raumforschung anzuschließen. So wird beispielsweise in den Raumwissenschaften derzeit das theoretische Konzept der (digitalen) Mediatisierung zunehmend fruchtbar gemacht, um Veränderungen räumlicher Anordnungen zu verstehen (Christmann/Singh/Stollmann et al 2020), exemplarisch im Sinne einer -kommunikativen -Re-Figuration von Räumen durch Digitalisierungs-und Mediatisierungsprozesse (Knoblauch/Löw 2020;Christmann 2022). Ländliche Räume wiederum spielen in diesen theoretischen Debatten noch kaum eine Rolle, ebenso werden diese theoretischen Konzepte bisher nur selten für Analysen in ländlichen Räumen genutzt.…”