Urban Surfaces Research Network Vol 2

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 second 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 2 contributors: Sneha Annavarapu (National University of Singapore), Anneke Coppoolse (Hongik University), Jacob Kimvall (Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts & Design), Panos Leventis (Drury University), Susanna Newbury (University of Nevada, Las Vegas), Cristián Simonetti (Pontifical Catholic University of Chile), Myrto Tsilimpounidi (Feminist Autonomous Centre for Research), Julia Tulke (Emory University), and Gerda Wielander (University of Westminster).

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 ongoing surface discoveries.