Today we were honored to have a guest lecture by Dr Alexandra Gomes from LSE Cities, London School of Economics at the seminar of the department ‘Georisks and civil security’ (GZS) at the Earth Observation Center (EOC) of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen. Alexandra gave an inspiring talk titled “Kuwaitscapes: mapping and games as tools for communicating urban research“.

Here is the abstract of the talk: This presentation will employ a diverse range of data visualisations to demonstrate how natural resource conditions – such as land and energy – influence the physical development of cities, and how, once established, the urban spatial structure leads to varying patterns of resource use and relationships between city form, housing and mobility. In Kuwait as in other Gulf cities, these forms of “resource urbanisms” have been shaped to prioritise the interest of car users, often at the expense of the broader needs of residents, with lasting effects on mobility, social interaction, public health and the environment. To address these challenges and instigate behaviour change, a card game was developed to bridge the gap between urban research and public engagement. The game contextualises Kuwait’s socio-cultural conditions and built environment through a diverse set of cards, encouraging players to reflect on the complexities of public space, the diversity of its users, and the various tools that influence spatial use. The Kuwaitscapes game was designed to foster discussion among a wide range of participants – including children, adults, planners and designers – and to promote a deeper understanding of urban issues in an engaging, accessible, inclusive and collaborative way.

References:

https://www.lse.ac.uk/cities/research/cities-environment-and-climate-change/Resource-Urbanisms  

https://www.lse.ac.uk/cities/research/cities-environment-and-climate-change/Public-Space-in-Kuwait