There is no question that ICTs (information and communications technologies) are changing the world. One area that digital technology has a huge potential for impact is what Nicolas Nova calls "the hybridization of the digital and the physical with regard to urban computing issues".

This kind of technology will not only impact traditional urban planning but will be key in doing the kind of sustainable cultural mapping advocated by cultural planners like Robert Palmer.

In his review of Interactive Cities, Nova is especially interested in the use of cell phones to map patterns on interaction. A close survey of the mobile landscape provides:

... a means of listening, observing, and reading the city, a tool that interprets the city as a shifting entity formed by webs of human interactions in space-time, rather than as a fixed and purely physical environment. On the one hand, it provides an analytical mechanism to further understand the urban condition in real-time. On the other hand, it provides feedback, allowing the user to change from being a passive/observed entity to an active participant.

The interactive component is the really exciting part. Gathering data is necessary to implement effective strategic planning but when you get citizens participating though these information systems and engaging with the physical enviroment of the city, culture can be explored and created in innovative ways. We're seeing the begining of this trend with 'Web 2.0' communities but what is missing is the physical enviroment. The introduction of a mobile means to access information systems will allow for an overlay of community, culture, and the urban landscape.

via pasta and vinegar

also see: mobilemuse.ca