presentation for the EchoPolis International Conference, that took place on the 1st of October, 2013 in Athens. by Vivian Doumpa and Dr. Brian Doucet

1. Vivian Doumpa
Brian Doucet
EcHoPolis Conference
Athena, Greece
29/9 – 3/10, 2013

2. Public Space in NEED for Revitalization
CREATIVITY

3. THE GUERRILLA GENERATION
Keywords:
Public Art
Street Art
Guerrilla
Pop-Up
Tactical
Creativity
DIY
Temporary
Bottom-Up
Spontaneous
Community-driven

4. Missing keyword:
Sound  Music (Performance)
Missing link:
Music  Public Space Revitalization

5. To what extent does
Music Performance in Public Space
change
the Perception
that people might have about
the Quality of that place?

6. Research Gap:
Music and Performance Arts in Public Space
Sense of hearing
Listening
Music Cognition

7. THE CASE STUDY
Navarinou Square - Thessaloniki

8. Navarinou Square (source: Bing Maps)

14. The gypsy-swing musicians who performed during the research.
Swing till you drop: (from left to right)
Chris Kosides, Yiannis Vakaloudis and Kostas Vaporidis.

15. View video here: http://youtu.be/eBt9bUyMnbs

16. COMFORT

17. COMFORT
“I don’t usually spend time in the square. But today that I liked
it I thought of sitting for a while… and I sat. And I liked it a lot
that there are swing musicians today!”

21. COMMUNITY &
SOCIABILITY
“(...) I have made friends... other moms... we have made
friendships, my child has made friends, and as a result my day
goes on more pleasantly”
picture captured by an interviewee

22. ACCESSIBILITY
“(...) it is a very dear place for the people. It has lots of people; as
soon as the sun comes out ‘pop!’ everyone comes here in the
square. The square fills immediately. The square...is the centre, it
is... where everyone gathers. (...) Navarinou Square is a trademark!”
March 2012

23. USE
“Back in the days it used to have more people, it used to
concentrate more people. Now there is not so much. Nowadays
people also have difficulties (financial), so it is reasonable that
they don’t go out as much as they used to do”.
picture captured by an interviewee

24. The contribution of the music performance on
perception and experience

25. “there should be more activities, a little bit of music”
Picture taken by an interviewee from the nearby cafeteria

26. “I mean, you watch the music, you watch the people sitting
and observing… it is nice!”
“…music relaxes. You feel that
something exists”

27. “May I at least buy you a cup of coffee?”
…suggests this woman to the musicians
when they said that they do not collect money, but they perform for pleasure.

28. …one week later,
without the music…
“few days ago I came across a band that
was playing the violin... it was very nice,
because we were in the park on the one
hand, but on the other, we were also
listening to music... and the children
were dancing…”
“Yes, (music in public space) is
something very pleasant, and
sometimes in the square there are
people who either sing opera songs, or
play accordion and generally I believe
that these events give a different
touch…”

29. music in public space does not have a
direct effect on people’s perceptions
regarding the quality of a place
…hmmm…?
>>> intensity of problems
“Clichés of Public
Speech”
<<< effect of music
Yi-Fu Tuan, 1977

30. Spatial Experiences
MUSIC
feelings
memories
Perceptual Experiences

31. The unexpected factor
THE GREEK CRISIS

32. Music in Public Space
Creative Placemaking - Culture-Led Regeneration
Humanization of Planning – Collaborative Approaches
Successful and Qualitative Urban Realms

33. Top-to-Down
Collaborative Policy Making
Bottom-Up

34. Recommendation:
!!! Quality of Music !!!
Symbolisms of music 
 Emotions provoked 
 Identity of space – Placemaking 
 Desired planning strategy

35. Recommendation:
!!! Don’t over-plan !!!
Otherwise:
<<< creativity
<<< spontaneity
<<< engagement
Appreciate Grassroots
and Pop-Up!
The planner's and policy
maker's role should be to
create the ideal conditions for
the musical activities to
flourish, rather than to
exclusively focus on
organizing top-down festivals
and events themselves.

36. Final Goal:
TRIANGULATION
MUSIC
- interaction
- socialization
- usability
STATE
- infrastructure
- maintenance

37. “I was wandering around the
old town when I heard a
saxophone from around the
corner and, following the
sound, found the musician
playing alone in a snowcovered square. The pleasure
of the experience was that it
was so unexpected, unlike the
feeling that buskers today are
placed in strategic spots,
which takes away the joy of
the moment of discovery.”
Anna Minton, 2009

38. T H A N K YO U V E RY M U C H
Special thanks to
Chris Kosides, Giannis Vakaloudis & Kostas Vaporidis
Christianna Vei, Efi Votsou & Aris Stathis
Vivian Doumpa – vivian.doumpa@gmail.com
Brian Doucet - b.m.doucet@uu.nl
Echopolis, Athens, October 2013
Find full research here: http://bit.ly/101LBjq