Co-evaluating urban space transformations around the Urban Pulse Map in Copenhagen

The Urban Pulse Map is an interactive two-part map showing the city's pulse before and after an intervention, with dynamic layers for traffic types and time to explore place-based impacts.

The Copenhagen Living Lab held a workshop around the Urban Pulse Map. The participants were invited to investigate the impacts of the map displays and to co-evaluate how such impacts corresponded to the changes they themselves experience in daily life.

Different demographics participated in the workshop, including vulnerable road user representatives (children and people with visual and physical impairments) and local residents (both with and without cars in the household). They tested the map in pairs, sharing diverse perspectives and local knowledge.

Insights and challenges

The face-to-face interaction fostered nuanced and fruitful discussions, but the map was often perceived as incomplete and difficult to use, requiring significant interpretation. Therefore, future developments of the map should acknowledge the target audience better and involve them in the earlier stages of design.

A key insight was that urban space changes take time to show effects; even a year after the intervention, locals assessed it was too soon to co-evaluate overall impacts and user satisfaction.