F1309 New Technologies, Cultural Heritage and the Urban Experience, Francesc Muñoz

Munoz Francesc

The main aim of the course is to offer an overview on how information and telecommunications technologies are suggesting new approaches for understanding cultural heritage intervention and management. The use of telematics and digital technologies are providing with highly innovative experiences currently linking cultural heritage visibility with the urban experience.
More specifically, the course is organized in three main parts:

Firstly, some preliminary definitions are presented. Concepts such as 'cultural heritage' and 'information/ telecommunication technologies' are explained. This first part, approaches three different types of issues:
-Some epistemological questions on the nature of time and history considering the transition from modernity to postmodernity.
-Some sociological ideas as the notion of 'speed' or the experience of 'real time' that characterizes the use of telecommunications at the present moment.
-Some psychological discussions regarding human perception of both physical and virtual environments.

Secondly, key evidences and facts are presented to illustrate how information and telecommunication technologies have definitely changed the nature of many different economic, social and cultural processes. This discussion leads to explain how telematics have been used in relation to cultural heritage. A wide range of examples shows in this sense how digital technologies have provided with innovation and creativity the intervention and management of cultural heritage. This selection of inspiring experiences includes some of the more relevant study-cases of urban museums world-wide.

Thirdly, the course suggests that some dimensions of digital technologies regarding cultural heritage management have not been explored. In this sense, the relationships between heritage and the urban experience appear as a very clear opportunity. This is to say, activating from creative and innovative approaches cultural heritage as a remarkable part of the individuals daily urban experience.

Finally, the course approaches these contents using the city of Venice as an urban laboratory where testing the previous mentioned ideas. Considering this ambition, the students will be invited to work putting in relation brand new uses of information and telecommunication technologies with local Venetian cultural heritage focusing on the urban experience and the perception of the physical city.

The final conclusion of the course suggests that digital technologies have been used as a basic technical support for the better availability and portability of information on heritage. However, the potentialities of the information and telecommunication technologies remain relatively unexplored and they clearly offer inspiring ways to design more attractive and successful heritage management programs, able to put on the mental map of the citizens this essential part of the local culture and identity.

Learning outcomes
Getting familiar with critical definitions and perspectives on key concepts such as 'heritage', 'culture', 'information and telecommunication technologies', 'digital technology' or 'digital culture'.

-Multidisciplinary knowledge on different approaches –economic, social, cultural– to the definition of cultural heritage and digital technologies.

-Comparative work on different real study cases particularly relevant for the understanding of the main contents.

-First contact with some of the leading concepts, projects and programs updating cultural heritage management from the basis of the use of digital technologies.

-Empirical knowledge on the city of Venice based on the analysis and observation of urban space, local cultural heritage and the urban experience.

Teaching and Evaluation Methods (priority given to interactive tuition)
-Two presentations on selected readings particularly relevant for the course
-One essay based on an observation and research urban fieldtrip
-One essay based on a group work and discussion on selected issues particularly relevant for the course
-One final essay based on a research work on an issue particularly relevant for the course

Syllabus

Week 1
Contents: Introduction to the main aims of the course (I). Presentation and definition of main concepts regarding heritage and culture. Discussion on these introductory ideas in relation with the city and the urban experience.
Lecture 1: Culture and heritage: main concepts approaching the cityspace.
Lecture 2: Culture and heritage: main theories approaching the cityscape.

Week 2
Contents: Introduction to the main aims of the course (II). Presentation and definition of main concepts regarding information and telecommunication technologies (ITT). Discussion on these introductory ideas in relation with the city and the urban experience.
Lecture 1: The ITT today: main concepts approaching the cityspace.
Lecture 2: The ITT today: main theories approaching the cityscape.

Week 3
Contents: The development and evolution of the urban culture. Main considerations made on the role of heritage in the definition of both the physical built urban environment and the human relationships shaping the urban life. Key statements cover important discussions such as:
- Main differences between the modern and the postmodern city, culture and society.
- Main reasons explaining the evolution of museums and the role of cultural urban policies at the present moment.
Lecture 1: The evolution of the urban culture (19th and 20th centuries).
Lecture 2: The role of the urban heritage from modern to postmodern cities.

Week 4
Contents: Historical evolution of the information and telecommunication technologies (ITT) considering the changing dimensions of the relationships between technology and society. Main statements cover key discussions related to the transition from the fordist to the postfordist city such as:
- The development of technological networks.
- Main reasons explaining the present role of telecommunications defining both physical spaces and the cyberspace.
Lecture 1: The evolution of the ITT (19th and 20th centuries).
Lecture 2: The role of the ITT from the fordist to the postfordist cities.

Week 5
Contents: The relationships between culture, heritage and technology at the present moment. Main discussions cover economic, social and cultural perspectives. Key statements refer to the explanation of the present day digital audiovisual mobile culture and the new roles and functions played by museums and cultural heritage offers in cities. Some study-cases and key-projects will be presented to illustrate facts and conclusions.
Lecture 1: From the physical to the digital, from the permanent to the mobile.
Lecture 2: Economic and social perspectives on cultural heritage and the ITT.

Week 6
Contents: Overview of relevant transformations affecting the urban landscape (20th and 21st centuries). Main statements put in relation changes in the cityscape with lifestyle mutations emphasizing the idea of the city as a container of both physical and intangible connected evolutions. Finally, main changes in urban perception are discussed suggesting the present moment relationship between individuals and space as specifically defined and mediated by information and telecommunication technologies.
Lecture 1: Cityspaces, landscapes and lifestyles in transition.
Lecture 2: Digital culture changing the built environment perception.

MIDTERM BREAK

Week 7
Contents: Presentation of main approaches referred to the standard use of the Information and telecommunication technologies in cultural heritage management projects. Main discussion focuses on the increasing availability and portability of information changing the nature of cultural heritage consumption. Samples of projects and initiatives worldwide are presented to illustrate how new technologies have changed the way in which heritage is managed and offered to cultural consumers.
Lecture 1: Main uses of the ITT in cultural heritage intervention/management.
Lecture 2: Availavility/portability of information and new heritage consumption.

Week 8
Contents: Presentation of main relationships between cultural heritage, new technologies and the city considering the museums planning and design as a relevant study case. Main experiences and practices are presented to explain the evolution and the changing roles of the museum in the city. Samples of cultural planning projects involving new definitions of the museum conceived as an urban heritage highlight are explained and discussed.
Lecture 1: The museums planning: evolution and new trends in urban heritage.
Lecture 2: The museums design:new experiences redefining cultural heritage.

Week 9
Contents: Presentation of main relationships between urban heritage, new technologies and the city considering the capability of cultural projects for providing with innovation and creativity. Inspiring approaches to cultural heritage and cultural consumption 'outside the museum' are presented to illustrate how both tangible and intangible cultural heritages can be mobilize. The consideration of citizens and visitors' urban experience and the links between urban heritage consumption and built environment perception appear as particularly relevant elements for the design of highly innovative heritage management projects.
Lecture 1: Cultural projects 'outside the museum': the urban experience.
Lecture 2: Tangible and intangible cultural heritage: key ideas and definitions.

Week 10
Contents: Following the previous session suggestions, some key projects worldwide are presented to illustrate how the confluence of cultural heritage, information and telecommunication technologies and the perception of the urban built environment are redefining the conditions for innovation and creativity in heritage management experiences.
Lecture 1: Tangible cultural heritage at work: sample of creative projects.
Lecture 2: Intangible cultural heritage at work: sample of creative projects.

Week 11
Contents: Final discussion on how digital technologies have been mainly used as a basic technical support for the availability and portability of information regarding heritage. However, information and telecommunication technologies clearly offer inspiring possibilities to design more attractive and successful heritage management projects. The main conclusion leads to the understanding of urban heritage not as a simple collection of highlights to be put in a photo but as a very important part of the built environment shaping urban perception hand in hand with the ordinary city.
Lecture 1: New relationships between cultural heritage and the ITT today.
Lecture 2: New visions on urban cultural heritage mediated by the ITT.

Week 12
Contents: Final discussions on how digital technologies are representing new challenges for cultural heritage management in cities at the present moment. Presentation of final remarks and conclusions of the course.
Lecture 1: Summary of main points on new technologies and the urban.
Lecture 2: Summary of main points on cultural heritage and the city.

Exam week
Final Seminar (presentation of the final research papers).

Evaluation
Readings

Required readings
-Ashworth, G.J; Tunbridge, J. E. (2000) The touristic-historic city: Retrospect and prospect of managing the heritage city. Oxford: Pergamon (1st edition in 1990).
-Bridge, Gary; Watson, Sophie (2000, eds) A companion to the city. Oxford: Blackwell.
-Castells, Manuel et al (2006) Mobile Communication and Society: A Global Perspective. Cambridge, MA, MIT Press.
-Castells, Manuel (2011) The Internet Galaxy. Reflections on the Internet, Business and Society. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
-Choay, Francoise (2001) The invention of the historic monument. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1st French edition 1992).
-Choay, Francoise (2010) "Conservation in the age of gentrification: historic cities from the 1960's". In Contemporary European History, 19, 4 (375-385).
-Darley, Andrew (2000) Visual digital culture: surface, play and spectacle in new media genres. Routledge, London.
-Goggin, Gerard (2011) Global mobile media. London: Routledge.
-Graham, Stephen; Marvin, Simon (1996) Telecommunications and the city. Electronic spaces, urban places. London: Routledge.
-Graham Stephen (2004, ed) The Cybercities Reader. London: Routledge.
-Hall, Tim; Hubbard, Phil; Renni Short, John (2008, eds) The Sage Companion to the City. Los Angeles: SAGE.
-Kavoori, Anandam; Arceneaux, Noah (2006, eds) The cell phone reader. Essays in social transformation. New York: Peter Lang.
-Kitchin, Robert (1998) Ciberspace.The world in the wires. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons.
-LeGates, Richard; Stout, Frederic (2002, eds) The City Reader. London: Routledge (1st edition in 1996).

Suggested readings
-Brenner, Neil; Keil, Roger (2006, eds) The global cities reader. London: Routledge.
-Castells, Manuel (2004) The Network Society: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Cheltenham, UK; Northampton, MA, Edward
Elgar.
-Graham, Stephen; Marvin, Simon (2001) Splintering Urbanism: Networked Infraestructures, Technological Mobilities and the Urban Condition. London: Routledge.
-Hannigan, John (1998) Fantasy city. Pleasure and profit in the postmodern metropolis. London: Routledge.
-Muñoz, Francesc (2010) "Urbanalisation: common landscapes, global places". In The Open Urban Studies Journal, num. 2 (75-85).
-Norris, Clive; Armstrong, Gary (1999) The Maximum Surveillance Society. Oxford: Berg.

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F1309 New Technologies, Cultural Heritage and the Urban Experience, Francesc Muñoz

Munoz Francesc

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