Been There Together is a single player game in an online and offline form of cards inspired by event scores. The game is designed to be played by individuals in public spaces, while they are surrounded by strangers. It serves as a pretext for social inclusion. The game can be played online, as a mobile phone application and as a DIY card game for download. The game was designed as an alternative to mobile games, and instead of pulling the player into a virtual reality, it encourages their perception of society and the surroundings. By providing challenges, context and aesthetic pleasure, it creates an exciting experience that contrasts with ordinary daily activities. Its purpose is to overcome the individual's alienation in society. By simple questions and tasks, the player is drawn into a magic circle of play in reality, in areas that are not normally intended for play. It creates a temporary world in the midst of an ordinary world, transforming everyday experience and the individual's perception of public spaces. The game is inspired by Fluxus group's "event scores" as well as by the Situationist International's concept of "dérive", a method of unplanned journeying through urban landscapes. The player can choose between 4 difficulty levels and decide which intensity of play they prefer. Its unobtrusive design allows the player to play the game without noticeably changing their behaviour in public, and it is entirely their decision if they want to admit that they are playing the game to bystanders. Thanks to the guise of a game, the player feels safe to interact with a stranger, to ask for help or to ask questions of people whom they are encountering for the first time. The game creates real social interaction, with legal and economic consequences that reach beyond the magic circle.

- Libraries are institutions of learning - They represent the cultural heritage and values of a society. Public libraries are often located at places of urban significance or, in the course of time help to establish the latter. They may be landmarks in the urban landscape and help to orient oneself. A public library serves the people, and its spirit should be truly public. A City and University Library in particular, is a highly frequented place where students and citizens meet. It can therefore easily become more than just a place for obtaining information. It can become a place for human interaction, offering spaces to enjoy a concert, to exhibit art or to go there to have lunch or dinner. In that sense, it could be transformed from an institution which is usually used during the day into a vital place which is also used in the evening and on the weekend. The following project pursues the notion of breaking with the traditional image of a public library, expanding its service and thus increasing its position as a place of public interest. This notion is a result of my thesis work, rather than the initial idea from which I started. The location of the project at the edge of the university campus in Frankfurt, Germany and the existence of a theater next to the existing library offered the possibility of establishing a cultural meeting place in one of Frankfurt's city districts. / Master of Architecture

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Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:17:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2008 - Pablo Waldeck Goncalves de Souza.pdf: 2011389 bytes, checksum: 2d903c70e0f497dfa879d5f386e128c6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-03-07 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / The objective of this paper was determined the presence of Cryptococcus neoformans in cockroach (Periplaneta americana) collected in public places. The motivation for this research was based on the fact that this species of cockroach is synanthropic and vehicle of several pathogenic agents for man and animals. The insect were collected already dead and also collected alive using different traps, at all, were 150 samples. The research of the presence of the agents in the insects was made in Laboratory of Pathogenic and Environmental Yeasts, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Veterinary, Institute of Veterinary, UFRRJ, by the process of the exoskeleton and the internal content of then, sowing in cultivation medium containing dopamine. The confirmations of isolation were made by macromorfology and micromorfology test, realization of auxanographic method and complementally proofs. Was not obtained isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans of exoskeleton. Were obtained 5 isolated (3%), starting by the content of the insects that, after the serogrouping in CGB medium, show them self as belonging to AD serum group. Test show that 80% of the stumps are big producing of phospholipase and 100% big producing of protease. We considerate that the cockroaches of the species Periplaneta americana are,potentially, a vector for the studied yeast. / O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a presen?a de Cryptococcus neoformans em baratas (Periplaneta americana) recolhidas de ambientes p?blicos. A motiva??o para esta pesquisa deve-se ao fato desta esp?cie de barata ser sinantr?pica e veiculadora de v?rios agentes patog?nicos para o homem e animais. Os insetos foram recolhidos mortos e tamb?m capturados vivos por meio de duas diferentes armadilhas, totalizando 150 amostras. A pesquisa da presen?a do agente nos insetos foi feita no Laborat?rio de Leveduras Patog?nicas e Ambientais, Depto de Microbiologia e Imunologia Veterin?ria, Instituto de Veterin?ria, UFRRJ, por processamento do exoesqueleto e do conte?do interno dos mesmos, com semeadura em meio de cultivo contendo dopamina. As confirma??es de isolamento foram realizadas por meio de testes de macromorfologia, micromorfologia, realiza??o de auxanograma e provas complementares. N?o foi obtido isolamento de Cryptococcus neoformans de exoesqueleto. Foram obtidos 5 isolamentos (3%) a partir do conte?do interno dos insetos que, ap?s sorogrupagem em meio CGB revelaram-se como pertencentes ao sorogrupo AD. Testes evidenciaram que 80% das cepas s?o forte produtoras de fosfolipase e 100% forte produtoras de protease. Consideramos que as baratas da esp?cie Periplaneta americana s?o um potencial vetor para a levedura estudada.

Abstract People who are homeless are portrayed to be a distinct type of ‘homeless person’. Within scholarly research literature, their state of homelessness has been presented as informative of who they are. On both an individual and collective level, people without homes are ascribed with identities on the basis of their homelessness. Their voices and perspectives rarely contribute to broader knowledge about who they are as people. As such, the imposed ‘homeless identity’ has the consequence of positioning them as ‘other’ than the ‘normal’ people with homes. Using an ethnographic approach, this study aims to understand the day-to-day lives and identities of people who are homeless. Approximately one hundred people who slept and interacted within inner suburban Brisbane’s public places participated in this research. To learn about how they lived and who they saw themselves as individuals, I observed them, socialised with them, engaged them in informal conversations and formal interviews. This approach to fieldwork, conducted over a six month period, provided me with the opportunity to witness diverse aspects of daily lives. Further, the ethnographic engagement enabled a consideration of the ways people enacted and displayed different aspects of their identities across different social and physical places. For the individuals who participated in this study, there was a stark distinction between how they lived, on the one hand, and the type of people they identified themselves as, on the other. They were comfortable describing their lives in ways that deviated from what they saw as the ‘mainstream’, but at the same time, they aligned themselves with this ‘mainstream’. Research participants expressed a strong view that their experiences of homelessness did not offer any purchase in explaining who they were, and how they thought about the world. The public places in which they lived were perceived as problematic. Public places were dangerous and the site of unwanted interactions. Although living in public places meant that interactions and friendships with other people who were homeless was a reality, these interactions did not constitute a ‘homeless collective’. More fundamentally, however, living in public places meant having no legitimate places, and having limited capacity to control day-to-day lives. The participants in this research articulated stereotypical notions of what home meant to them – home was a physical structure, a house. Similarly, home was a solution to their lives as homeless. Their constructions of home can also be seen as symbolic of their aspirations to find their ‘place’, and engage in the ‘mainstream’ society they feel disconnected from. While public places were associated with limited control over daily lives, the people in this research also exercised agency in enacting different aspects of their identities. Mediated by the social and physical constraints within their environment, they displayed an awareness of social expectations and emphasised elements of the self to achieve specific ends. Identities matter. An understanding of the identities of people experiencing homelessness, from their perspectives, can contribute toward the development of homelessness practice and policy responses. A distinction is made between solving problems people may have and solving homelessness. In terms of the latter, the thesis concludes that the provision of ‘normal’ housing and the availability of support, as distinct from mandatory engagement with case management, is the most appropriate response to the needs of the people who participated in this research.

This study offers an ethnographic account of the Brazilian protest movement that erupted in June of 2013. I conducted fieldwork in Rio during this time, including unstructured interviews, participant observation, unobtrusive observation, and collection of narratives to gain an understanding of what people living in Rio believe about these protests and social movements in general. The initial motivation for the protests was an increase in public transportation fare, but the movement quickly evolved into a fight for citizenship rights. With the upcoming mega-events in Rio (World Cup and Olympic Games), the city has spent billions of dollars on construction that many people think is unnecessary and ultimately useless. Brazil is a country rife with socioeconomic inequality, and many citizens lack access to having their basic needs met. Protesters in Rio argue that this money could be better spent on providing health care, education, and other fundamental necessities to the city’s population.

This study offers an ethnographic account of the Brazilian protest movement that erupted in June of 2013. I conducted fieldwork in Rio during this time, including unstructured interviews, participant observation, unobtrusive observation, and collection of narratives to gain an understanding of what people living in Rio believe about these protests and social movements in general. The initial motivation for the protests was an increase in public transportation fare, but the movement quickly evolved into a fight for citizenship rights. With the upcoming mega-events in Rio (World Cup and Olympic Games), the city has spent billions of dollars on construction that many people think is unnecessary and ultimately useless. Brazil is a country rife with socioeconomic inequality, and many citizens lack access to having their basic needs met. Protesters in Rio argue that this money could be better spent on providing health care, education, and other fundamental necessities to the city’s population.

Abstract People who are homeless are portrayed to be a distinct type of ‘homeless person’. Within scholarly research literature, their state of homelessness has been presented as informative of who they are. On both an individual and collective level, people without homes are ascribed with identities on the basis of their homelessness. Their voices and perspectives rarely contribute to broader knowledge about who they are as people. As such, the imposed ‘homeless identity’ has the consequence of positioning them as ‘other’ than the ‘normal’ people with homes. Using an ethnographic approach, this study aims to understand the day-to-day lives and identities of people who are homeless. Approximately one hundred people who slept and interacted within inner suburban Brisbane’s public places participated in this research. To learn about how they lived and who they saw themselves as individuals, I observed them, socialised with them, engaged them in informal conversations and formal interviews. This approach to fieldwork, conducted over a six month period, provided me with the opportunity to witness diverse aspects of daily lives. Further, the ethnographic engagement enabled a consideration of the ways people enacted and displayed different aspects of their identities across different social and physical places. For the individuals who participated in this study, there was a stark distinction between how they lived, on the one hand, and the type of people they identified themselves as, on the other. They were comfortable describing their lives in ways that deviated from what they saw as the ‘mainstream’, but at the same time, they aligned themselves with this ‘mainstream’. Research participants expressed a strong view that their experiences of homelessness did not offer any purchase in explaining who they were, and how they thought about the world. The public places in which they lived were perceived as problematic. Public places were dangerous and the site of unwanted interactions. Although living in public places meant that interactions and friendships with other people who were homeless was a reality, these interactions did not constitute a ‘homeless collective’. More fundamentally, however, living in public places meant having no legitimate places, and having limited capacity to control day-to-day lives. The participants in this research articulated stereotypical notions of what home meant to them – home was a physical structure, a house. Similarly, home was a solution to their lives as homeless. Their constructions of home can also be seen as symbolic of their aspirations to find their ‘place’, and engage in the ‘mainstream’ society they feel disconnected from. While public places were associated with limited control over daily lives, the people in this research also exercised agency in enacting different aspects of their identities. Mediated by the social and physical constraints within their environment, they displayed an awareness of social expectations and emphasised elements of the self to achieve specific ends. Identities matter. An understanding of the identities of people experiencing homelessness, from their perspectives, can contribute toward the development of homelessness practice and policy responses. A distinction is made between solving problems people may have and solving homelessness. In terms of the latter, the thesis concludes that the provision of ‘normal’ housing and the availability of support, as distinct from mandatory engagement with case management, is the most appropriate response to the needs of the people who participated in this research.

Abstract People who are homeless are portrayed to be a distinct type of ‘homeless person’. Within scholarly research literature, their state of homelessness has been presented as informative of who they are. On both an individual and collective level, people without homes are ascribed with identities on the basis of their homelessness. Their voices and perspectives rarely contribute to broader knowledge about who they are as people. As such, the imposed ‘homeless identity’ has the consequence of positioning them as ‘other’ than the ‘normal’ people with homes. Using an ethnographic approach, this study aims to understand the day-to-day lives and identities of people who are homeless. Approximately one hundred people who slept and interacted within inner suburban Brisbane’s public places participated in this research. To learn about how they lived and who they saw themselves as individuals, I observed them, socialised with them, engaged them in informal conversations and formal interviews. This approach to fieldwork, conducted over a six month period, provided me with the opportunity to witness diverse aspects of daily lives. Further, the ethnographic engagement enabled a consideration of the ways people enacted and displayed different aspects of their identities across different social and physical places. For the individuals who participated in this study, there was a stark distinction between how they lived, on the one hand, and the type of people they identified themselves as, on the other. They were comfortable describing their lives in ways that deviated from what they saw as the ‘mainstream’, but at the same time, they aligned themselves with this ‘mainstream’. Research participants expressed a strong view that their experiences of homelessness did not offer any purchase in explaining who they were, and how they thought about the world. The public places in which they lived were perceived as problematic. Public places were dangerous and the site of unwanted interactions. Although living in public places meant that interactions and friendships with other people who were homeless was a reality, these interactions did not constitute a ‘homeless collective’. More fundamentally, however, living in public places meant having no legitimate places, and having limited capacity to control day-to-day lives. The participants in this research articulated stereotypical notions of what home meant to them – home was a physical structure, a house. Similarly, home was a solution to their lives as homeless. Their constructions of home can also be seen as symbolic of their aspirations to find their ‘place’, and engage in the ‘mainstream’ society they feel disconnected from. While public places were associated with limited control over daily lives, the people in this research also exercised agency in enacting different aspects of their identities. Mediated by the social and physical constraints within their environment, they displayed an awareness of social expectations and emphasised elements of the self to achieve specific ends. Identities matter. An understanding of the identities of people experiencing homelessness, from their perspectives, can contribute toward the development of homelessness practice and policy responses. A distinction is made between solving problems people may have and solving homelessness. In terms of the latter, the thesis concludes that the provision of ‘normal’ housing and the availability of support, as distinct from mandatory engagement with case management, is the most appropriate response to the needs of the people who participated in this research.

Whether utilizing our smartphones for navigation or skyping our friend on our way, the use of ICTs affects the way that we walk through and stay in public places. "Dancing" mobile phone users are only one example of this. Their virtual activity becomes visible in public places. This master thesis is about contemporary demands on public space imposed by the new ICT generation, and aims to explore ethe behaviour of ICT users in public places. Therefore, it investigates the question of how the use of ICTs affects the way that people use public places and whar that means for urban planning. To this end, the thesis combines a literature review with an empirical study on the Münsterplatz in Bonn, Germany. The interviews and observations from this case study identified examples of characteristics of ICT users that are described in the literature; however, they also revealed new insights. Therefore, the thesis contributes to a greater understanding of the behaviour and demands of ICT users in public places and identifies ICT users as one user group, out-of-many, with specific demands on public space.