The Bentway: Human-Centric Design for Public Spaces

From Steps to Stories

In 2023, Autodesk Research used wearable sensor technology to capture peoples’ experiences when using public spaces, in collaboration with the Bentway in Toronto. The project resulted in From Steps to Stories, an interactive data art installation that explores the connections between human experience and computer vision under the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto, a community space recently revitalized as the Bentway.

Outfitted with camera-adorned data-capture helmets, participants set out on “walkshops,” in which they walked the length of the Bentway as video and audio of their experience were recorded. Participants also provided more subjective data by way of survey questions answered along the way, for example, how lonely or social is the space? How inspired does the space make you feel? To visualize the participant’s facial expressions while maintaining anonymity, we ran an algorithm to extract the facial contours and drew them as outlines overlaid on top of the video.

In addition to participant reactions, the helmet sensors also captured environmental information, such as temperature, pressure, humidity, and luminosity. In analyzing the data, researchers were able to use computer algorithms to detect what a person was looking at — be it a tree, a person, or a bridge.

“From Steps to Stories” sets the stage for a future where individual and collective human experiences can empower new design workflows using participatory design methods, moving us towards a built environment that actively improves public health and well-being.  

Based on this work, the team hopes the future of public space will be designed much more collaboratively, where design tools become more accessible, understanding and implementing public feedback becomes integral to design workflows, and designers can evaluate the consequences of designs decisions in real-time leading to more sustainable and experientially diverse public spaces – spaces that respond and adapt to the wants and needs of the communities they serve.