Livable Cities Symposium

Livable Cities 2nd Annual Symposium

Sensing the City

“Livable Cities” brings together interdisciplinary research, creative inquiry and city planning methods to explore current city development through sound, smell and other embodied perspectives. Presented by Simon Fraser University and hosted by the City of New Westminster, this one-day symposium will take up various disciplinary approaches, including architecture, community development, and socio-cultural issues. The event will include panels and talks, sensory workshops and sound art presentations. Communities in flux across the Lower Mainland present unique opportunities to engage with city planning strategies, urban densification, and the impact of soundscapes, smellscapes and mobilities on local urban environments.

Visiting Scholars include Mel McBride and Randolph Jordan. Evening concert curated by Barry Truax.

________________________________________________

SCHEDULE

09:00 – Panel I: Urban Mobilities (Moderator: Dr. Ben Mortensen)

10:30 – Coffee break

10:45 – Panel II: Sensing the City (Moderator: David Murphy)

12:15 – Lunch: Cheeses Crust Food Truck

13:00 – Workshops (see descriptions below)

14:45 – Coffee break

15:00 – Panel III: Art & the City: the influence of art and culture on City planning (Moderator: Kristina Fiedrich/Biliana Velkova)

17:00 – CAPTURE Photography Festival Artist Talk: James Nizam

17:00 – Free Tours of New Media Gallery exhibition: BRINK

19:00 – Evening Concert Program: Invisible Soundscapes, curated by Barry Truax

Students: Free with valid student identification

Workshops: Free and open to the public – please book one workshop selection in addition to your symposium registration

________________________________________________

PANELS

Panel I: Urban Mobilities

Moderator: Dr. Ben Mortensen

9:00am – 10:30am

Spatial Sonification of Earthquake Risk as Augmented Reality Soundwalk for Public Intervention – Presented by: Marc St Pierre, Aileen Wang and Mingtao Kong

Blurred lines: The liminality of mobility scooters – Presented by: Sharon Jang, Ben Mortenson, Laura Hurd Clarke, Lee Kirby

A Simple Solution to Address the Challenge of Getting Off Light Rail for People with Disabilities – Presented by: Mike Prescott

Surveillance and Soundwalking – Presented by: Jorma Kujala

________________________________________________

Panel II: Sensing the City

Moderator: David Murphy

10:45 – 12:15

Friction, communication and urban space – Presented by: Stuart Poyntz

Sonic Warfare: Audio as a high-stakes battleground – Presented by: Matt Horrigan

Nocturnal Ethnographies and Sensorial Practices: Towards an Anthropology of the Night – Presented by: Eleonora Diamanti

Urban Tastescapes – Presented by: Stephanie Gagne

________________________________________________

Panel III: Art & the City: the influence of art and culture on City planning

Moderators: Kristina Fiedrich & Biliana Velkova

3:00 – 5:00

Presenters: Lisa Leblanc (Manager, Transportation, City of New Westminster); Mary Trentadue (City Councillor); Sarah Joyce (Co-Curator/Director, New Media Gallery); Rebecca Bayer (Artist)

________________________________________________

Workshop 1 – 1:00pm – 2:30pm

Listening at the Intersection of Contested Space on the Fraser River

Presented by: Dr. Randolph Jordan, Concordia University

________________________________________________

Workshop 2 – 1:00pm – 2:30pm

Putting our noses to the ground: Principles and practices of smellwalking

Presented by: Melanie McBride, Ryerson University

________________________________________________

Workshop 3 – 1:00pm – 2:30pm

Barriers and facilitators to mobility and participation among mobility device users

Presented by: Dr. Ben Mortenson

________________________________________________

Invisible Soundscapes

Comprised of student and community artists present and past, this curated evening program presents different takes on context-based compositional work, engaging themes around lived experience, space and cities. Curated by Barry Truax.

________________________________________________

For more information please contact: Dr. Milena Droumeva mvdroume@sfu.ca

This event is sponsored by the City of New Westminster, Anvil Centre, and Simon Fraser University.