Spatial Transduction and the city: A Comparative Study of collective spatial representation in “malled” metropolitan centres of Changsha

Abstract

Urban public spaces have traditionally functioned as the main places for social interaction and cultural expression. However, with the relatively recent introduction of digital technologies, large portions of communication have moved to the space of immaterial media. This has transformed the interaction of individuals with and within urban public spaces, introducing a novel semi-virtual relational condition: the digitally augmented spatial transduction. Contextually, the actual public space is also undergoing changes in form, structure and functional organisation. In fast-growing cities, such as the main Chinese urban conurbations, these transitions are profound and deeply impact on people’s life and spatial perception. As a typical site of production of the new urban public space, the integrated shopping mall provides a relevant context for the analysis of the spatial transductivity in the city of the digital technological era. This research aimed to understand the transformation of collective perception and representation of urban space in the contemporary city. Conditions were explored where the central places of public life of local communities were subjected to particularly relevant sociospatial transformations – the main “malled” urban centres. A comparative analysis of multiple case studies of shopping malls in Changsha, Hunan, was made. Using data from two different geolocated, visual-based digital social media services (Weibo, the largest social media site in China; DaZhong DianPing, the first third-party review site of local consumption services in China), the contribution of spatial transduction to social behaviours and socio-spatial relationships has been analysed. Findings indicate that the phenomenon of spatial transduction is particularly evident in the public space of the latest generation of shopping malls. There, proliferation and usage of media technologies thrive, greatly affecting the development of local social networks and the related routines of the everyday practices of local communities. These findings have implications for conception, implementation and management of public space, specifically underlining the role of design in the production of urban places.