On the 26th of April – the 2nd of May 2022

Digital Placemaking Hackathon: Solving Urban Regeneration Challenges in Latvia, Lithuania and Taiwan

The event was organized by Riga Technical University, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and Kaunas University of Technology as a part of the project „Up-to-date Information Systems in Urban Regeneration (UISUR)“ financed by Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan, Latvian Council of Science and Research Council of Lithuania.

Around 30 students from three universities were acknowledged with challenges and theoretical approaches to urban regeneration as well as various up-to-date urban information systems based on the UISUR findings. After the introductory part three local situations were presented to participants: Jugla neighborhood in Riga, Dadaocheng neighborhood in Taipei and Žemieji Šančiai neighborhood in Kaunas. While working in the international teams’ and using various open data sources students had to analyze the selected urban objects, identify their problems and regeneration-related challenges and propose ideas for urban regeneration. All three teams focused on the placemaking approach in urban regeneration proposals while putting emphasis on the potential of various digital technologies for the activation of urban areas.

Final presentations of three groups could be seen below as well as the program of the Hackathon and a Screenshot of the final presentation event.

PROJECTS

Proposals for Žemieji Šančiai, Kaunas

Authors:

Rolands Hartmans, RTU

Arvīds Apelis, RTU

Chiu Ling Hsuan , NTUST

Lai Su Ping, NTUST

Yaroslav Konstantinov, KTU

Russul Mihyawi, KTU

Mohamed Abderrahmane Belkhayat Zouggari, KTU

Mentors:

Igrida Povilaitienė

Kęstutis Zaleckis

Proposal for Jugla, Riga

Authors:

Anna Olha, RTU

Chen Pin-hua, NTUST

Tzu Yu Lin, NTUST

Yi-Chen Su, NTUST

Abdelhak Ayouaz, KTU

Monika Moncevičiūtė, KTU

Jasmin Franz, KTU

Mentor: Alisa Korolova

Proposal for Dadaocheng, Taipei

Authors:

Put Oi In,  NTUST

Stirena Rossy Tamariska,  NTUST

Tseng Wei-Min,  NTUST

Khine Zar The,  NTUST

Divyaraj Singh Bisen, KTU

Mentor: Chi-hui, Chen

New publication of the whole project team in the journal “Urban Planning”

Digital Placemaking for Urban Regeneration: Identification of Historic Heritage Values in Taiwan and the Baltic States

Chih‐ming Shih 1, Sandra Treija 2, Kęstutis Zaleckis 3, Uģis Bratuškins 2, Chi‐Hui Chen 1, Yen‐Hung Chen 1,
Charles Tzu Wei Chiang 1, Laura Jankauskaitė‐Jurevičienė 3, Jūratė Kamičaitytė 3, Alisa Koroļova 2,*,
Huei‐Chen Lee 1, Arnis Lektauers 4 and Aušra Mlinkauskienė 3

1 Department of Architecture, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan;
E‐Mails: scm@mail.ntust.edu.tw (C.‐m. S.), cccccccay@gmail.com (C.‐H.C.), yh‐chen@mail.ntust.edu.tw (Y.‐H.C.),
charlechiang@gmail.com (C.T.W.C.), hueijane.lee@gmail.com (H.‐C.L.)
2 Faculty of Architecture, Riga Technical University, Latvia; E‐Mails: sandra.treija@rtu.lv (S.T.), ugis.bratuskins@rtu.lv (U.B.),
alisa.korolova@rtu.lv (A.K.)
3 Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania;
E‐Mails: kestutis.zaleckis@ktu.lt (K.Z.), laura.jankauskaite‐jureviciene@ktu.lt (L.J.‐J.), jurate.kamicaityte@ktu.lt (J.K.),
ausra.mlinkauskiene@ktu.lt (A.M.)
4 Department of Modelling and Simulation, Riga Technical University, Latvia; E‐Mail: arnis.lektauers@rtu.lv

Abstract:  The active use of modern technology has affected the relationship between people and place. The “digital environment” and the “digital community” are becoming an increasingly important factor in people’s daily life, leading to a loss of belonging to a place, an entire neighbourhood, and a community. In the long run, this poses risks to the unification of values and the loss of identity. In this context, the involvement of the local community in the identification and preservation of historical heritage and defining the specific values of each site is particularly important. Thus, both the attraction of the local community to specific places and the revealed potential of local tourism are promoted. Digital placemaking enters urban regeneration as a logical approach to mixing digital and physical environments and involving the local community. Several GIS-based platforms and other tools are used to identify heritage values, both tangible and intangible. Although digital placemaking is emerging worldwide, its manifestations are closely related to specific local circumstances. The article focuses on the key characteristics and configurations of the digital placemaking tools within particular communities. The study tests digital placemaking practice in the historical districts of three cities: Taipei (Taiwan), Riga (Latvia), and Kaunas (Lithuania).

On the 14^th-15^th of October, all project partners participated in the

62nd INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE OF RIGA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY: ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PLANNING

The following presentations, based on the research conducted during the project, were made:

1. Digital Interpretation as a Bridge to Support the Sense of Place: “Lord Guan Online!” Website at DaxiDaxi, Chi-Hui Chen, Chih-ming Shih (Taiwan)

2. Smart Inclusive Urban Regeneration in Riga, Sandra Treija, Uģis Bratuškins, Alisa Koroļova, Arnis Lektauers (Latvia)

3. Urban Regeneration Processes of Kaunas in the Light of the Evolution of Four

Urban Capitals, Kęstutis Zaleckis, Jūratė Kamičaitytė, Aušra Mlinkauskienė, Laura Jankauskaitė-Jurevičienė (Lithuania)

At the end of the conference, all project members paticipated in Roundtable discussion “Up-to-date Information Systems in Urban Regeneration”

Publications on the base of the presentations are prepared and will be submitted to the journal “Architecture and Urban Planning” (https://aup-journals.rtu.lv/)

Bratuškins, U.; Zaleckis, K.; Treija, S.; Koroļova, A.; Kamičaitytė, J. Digital Information Tools for Urban Regeneration: Capital’s Approach in Theory and Practice. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8082.

Bratuškins, U.; Zaleckis, K.; Treija, S.; Koroļova, A.; Kamičaitytė, J. Digital Information Tools for Urban Regeneration: Case of Riga and Kaunas. Advanced Construction and Architecture. Proceedings of 1st International Scientific Conference, KTU leidykla „Technologija“, 2020, p.52-54, DOI 10.5755/e01.2669-1922.2020