Urban Surfaces Research Network Vol 1

This publication is intended to inform research, practice, and public discussions on the role of surfaces in urban environments.

The publication is the result of the first international workshop of the Urban Surfaces Research Network (USRN), established in 2023 by Sabina Andron, Konstantinos Avramidis, and Tom Ward.

The USRN brings together researchers, practitioners, and policy makers, to examine the roles and uses of urban surfaces, and their contribution to the formation of urban cultures, politics, and atmospheres. It is a multidisciplinary group held together by a shared empirical interest and a passion to untangle the affordances of surfaces for citizenship, belonging, media, economy, law, and justice - the list continues.

USRN Vol 1 contributors: Sabina Andron ( University of Melbourne), Katya Assaf-Zakharov & Tim Schnetgöke (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Konstantinos Avramidis ( University of Cyprus), Peter Bengtsen ( Lund University), Andrea Brighenti (University of Trento), Maria Chatzidakis ( University of West Attica), Anne Cronin ( Lancaster Universit), Eduardo de la Fuente (University of South Australia), Kurt Iveson (University of Sydney), David Pontille (Mines Paris - PSL), and Tom Ward ( Uppsala University).

Each contributor addresses the following prompts:

1. Share a definition of urban surfaces pertinent to their discipline and field of research or practice.

2. Propose three concepts for advancing urban surfaces knowledge.

3. Introduce an example or case study of their surface-related work.

We hope you enjoy your journey through these incredibly wide-ranging responses and share our enthusiasm for the work that lies ahead.