WWTF ESR 20-034
Universität Wien
Urban Art
& Green
The Project
Public space fulfills a crucial role for social integration and well-being in cities. Urban greenery and art are essential elements of an attractive public space. Scientifically, this project opens new perspectives on aesthetics bridging the sciences and the arts, and investigating the potential of aesthetic episodes to unify urbanization and aestheticization. Urban vegetation has seen increasing scientific attention in the light of climate change. The effects of urban art on people, however, has not been as systematically investigated. While plants are generally appreciated, the beneficial effects of art are seen much more controversially. The present project investigates the effect of art and greening interventions in public space. Artists and scientists collaboratively develop temporary installations for a systematic analysis of the specific qualities of interventions and their effects on physiology, perception, behavior, and well-being. The mobile installations are presented at different spots in Vienna, in a seasonally and demographically balanced design. This quasi-experimental approach is complemented by standardized laboratory experiments, which enable us to validate and quantify effects found in the field study. The present project is among the first, and the most systematic, attempts to quantify the effects of urban interventions. The resulting model can serve as a basis to achieve the desired effects in public space.
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The Study Site
Grätzloasen – Flexible Real Life Laboratories
The art collective Burggasse 98 – namely Frank Maria Furtschegger, Martijn Straatmann and Niklas Worisch – designed and implemented a basis for our research that can be equipped with varying content. The materials were partially upcycled from used street furniture, such as bicycle stands. We are grateful for the support from MA48 of the city of Vienna.
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