The Future of Digital Public Space is Connected

We often talk about public spaces in the physical sense. For example, we might refer to a park, a city square, or a street corner as being a public space. But what about digital public spaces? And why are they important and how are the two merging? In this post, we will discuss the importance of digital public spaces and how they have become increasingly important in our society.

The advent of the "Internet of Things" has added to the list of places where consumers now work, shop, and socialise. Businesses, including hotels, retail shops and restaurants, increasingly compete with social-media sites, video-conferencing software, dating apps, entertainment platforms, and online shops as the "places" where we engage most.

The Covid-19 epidemic, and the subsequent lockdowns, just accelerated the trend towards virtualisation. It's clear that at least some of the pandemic-era changes in our social interactions are here to stay as the country reintegrates from months of social isolation.

Digital public spaces provide a place for people to share their thoughts and ideas with one another. They also allow people to connect with each other and build relationships. In addition, digital public spaces can be used to educate people about important topics or issues.

How can we make digital public spaces private?

The days of technology-free safe spaces where people may interact freely and anonymously without being tracked and assessed are long gone. With physical public places becoming increasingly digitalised through technologies such as surveillance cameras and face recognition, how we use that data and provide personalised, unique user experiences is built on trust and having the appropriate security technology in place.

These technologies are dependent on algorithms that may, for example, assess someone's gender, race and age, we need to be mindful of how this data was collected and what steps need to be put in place to make sure the user is in control.

As we move forward into a society that is increasingly reliant on technology, it is important that we make sure that our digital public spaces are safe and secure for everyone. We need to ensure that the technologies we use do not violate our trust or privacy. Digital public spaces are an important part of our society and we should do everything we can to make sure they stay that way.

The challenge now is to incorporate these encounters into the overall experience. However, utilising Bluetooth, geolocation services, and NFC push notifications, we may notify the public when we require their approval.

Will the Metaverse replace Real Public Spaces?

The Metaverse is coming whether we like it or not. We'll be able to explore the internet all around us every day when new connections, devices and technologies are developed. With augmented and mixed reality, people will be able to visit the metaverse entirely virtually (i.e., in virtual reality) or interact with aspects of it in their real environment.

The metaverse is a shared virtual place inhabited by digital avatars today. The virtual realm expands and changes based on the choices and activities of the community within it. In reality, it's no different than how we interact on a daily basis now, through zooming, FaceTime, social media and public places.

It’s the idea of taking information about things, locations, or historical events and actually locating that information out there in the world where it’s most relevant. We are creating a constantly evolving digital world where actions we take in the real world can play out in another. Augmented reality and virtual reality will be the ways you will see this information layer offering up experiences that can be accessed anywhere. Imagine sitting pitch-side for a Premier League game, seeing what the Grand Canyon really looks like, or going shopping on Hollywood Boulevard from a public space or even a hotel room.

The future can be bright if we want it to be

But fear not. A vibrant, productive physical environment still matters. Smartphone users do not need to be chained to their desks to learn about the latest news. This connectivity is bringing with it an expanding need for increased urban services and infrastructure that are linked via sensors. With the internet, our virtual world is slowly becoming more integrated with our urban spaces and rituals.

Architects and designers are still building structures, but they will undoubtedly change. They'll be hard-wired to future proof against technological innovation and be energy-efficient, interesting places where people from disparate cultures can mix together.

• Digital Public Spaces are important for education and must keep up with the demands of the future.

• Digital Public Spaces must be safe and secure both physically and virtually.

• Digital Public Spaces need to be constantly evolving to ensure they stay relevant.

• Architects must future proof against technological innovation to maximise the longevity.

We think that having a collaborative culture is critical for us to deliver on the complexity of products and customer ecosystems required today at Siemlus. With so many talents and backgrounds on our team, we must collaborate closely to create and maintain a collaborative culture while also creating stunningly designed integrated customer experiences.

Digital public spaces are an important part of our society and we should do everything we can to make sure they stay that way.