Public Space as a Living Lab: Scientific Protocols for Human Dynamics October 9-11, 2026 · Van Alen Institute, New York
X-Topia, in partnership with the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA) and the Van Alen Institute, presents Public Space as a Living Lab, a three-day workshop in New York City co-led by Marcella Del Signore, Julia del Rio and Tatiana Teixeira.
Most public space research happens after the space is built, too late to change anything. The workshop reverses that sequence. Participants prototype small, reversible interventions in real public space, measure what those changes do to the people using it, and translate the evidence into design and placemaking strategies that cities, institutions and communities can act on.
The program brings together urban design, environmental psychology, neuroscience-informed methods and public-space research. It combines lectures, fieldwork, rapid prototyping, data collection and collaborative synthesis. Indoor sessions take place at the Van Alen Institute in Gowanus, Brooklyn; field experiments take place outdoors, in the city.
Three research tracks
Participants work across all three tracks, treating them as parallel lenses on the same site:
A. Cognition & Navigation. How does public space affect attention, memory and orientation as people move through the city?
B. Mood, Stress & Restoration. How do public spaces affect emotional state, perceived restoration, stress, comfort and attention?
C. Behavior & Social Interaction. How do spatial conditions influence dwelling, encounter, movement, seating and collective use of public space?
Three days
Day 1, Frame: the scientific and design foundations of public space and livability, the workshop methodology, research tracks, tools and the New York site context.
Day 2, Test: field experiments through baseline observations, reversible public-space interventions and multimodal data collection, working with observational, self-report, behavioral and physiological measures.
Day 3, Synthesize: analysis of findings, translation of evidence into design and placemaking strategies, development of final concepts and presentation of recommendations.
Outputs
The New York edition will produce a field-tested public-space measurement protocol, visual documentation and site observations, preliminary findings across the three tracks, participant-generated design concepts and strategies, material for a public brief and white-paper draft, and a replicable framework for future editions in other cities.
An international series
New York is the first edition of a broader international series, with future editions envisioned in Brazil, Italy and the UAE. The aim is a shared protocol, tested city by city, building a comparable body of evidence on how public space shapes human experience.
Who it is for
The workshop is open to architects, urban designers, landscape architects, planners, public-sector professionals, real estate and development teams, researchers, students, recent graduates and community organizations. No prior experience with neuroscience or data collection is required.
Registration
Registration is open through October 8, 2026. Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/public-space-as-a-living-lab-scientific-protocols-for-human-dynamics-registration-1992587417605 Questions: info@x-topia.org
Partners: Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA) · Van Alen Institute · X-Topia