Digital Placemaking: Revitalize the Urban Outdoor Spaces through Interactive Media Architecture

The dependency on social media, and virtual communication has fostered sedentary lifestyles and a growing sense of social isolation in the digital age. This shift has significantly affected the vibrancy, inclusivity, and overall use of urban outdoor spaces—such as parks, plazas, and pedestrian zones—which traditionally play a vital role in fostering public engagement, social cohesion, and community well-being. In response, digital placemaking has emerged as a transformative strategy for revitalizing public spaces. Grounded in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) principles, it fosters meaningful engagement and sociocultural connectivity within urban environments. This study explores how interactive media architecture can be utilized as an effective digital placemaking tool to enhance public interaction and revitalize underutilized urban outdoor spaces. Based on literature review, the study identifies the types of spatial layout of urban outdoor spaces, interface types and different modes of interactive media, and social interaction design patterns. The selected case studies are analyzed through comparative matrices, revealing the interconnections among spatial layouts, interface types, interaction modes, and design patterns, and highlighting recurring strategies used to engage the public. These relationships reveal a set of design strategies that shape the interfaces in ways that consistently foster similar patterns of user behavior. The paper further outlines the benefits and limitations of digital placemaking, identifies future directions such as AI integration and behavioral studies, and underscores the importance of sustainability and long-term considerations—including maintenance, cost, and adaptability. This knowledge supports architects and urban designers in crafting dynamic, inclusive, and participatory public spaces in contemporary cities.