Read along: Civic AI, STORYBOX and the future of public space media. A story shared for REMIX Festival, Sydney, June 2025.
Can we put AI to use for better communities and habitats?
For many years, we’ve heard of the risks to jobs as AI tools are introduced into workplaces, far exceeding what humble humans are capable of. There is also the risk that AI dehumanises places and communities.
But like all new technologies, there is the potential for both good and bad.
In this Whitepaper we explore the potential opportunities for using AI to empower and equip organisations and communities to collaborate in new ways, unlocking new community value.
Of course, AI has many troubling uses as well. Anything humans can do now, AI will accelerate. This is why aligning the adoption of AI with clear values and ethical intentions is critical.
Read the STORYBOX White Paper on the potentials of Civic AI, prepared by STORYBOX Co-Founder Dr. Sarah Barns with support from RMIT University.
Released March 2025.
Research Whitepaper
Civic AI for vibrant communities
Measures of public engagement for public spaces
STORYBOX champions public and civic value frameworks for the design and evaluation of digital engagement programs for public spaces.
This work is informed by an international civic design research agenda that seeks to re-centre the concept of ‘civic value’ in the design and experience of public spaces.
We do this because most outdoor media prioritises engagement to achieve greater sales volume. Instead, we believe engagement in public spaces should be measured through the lens of public and civic value.
Our methods of program evaluation integrate a mix of qualitative and quantitative insights. We use sensor-based technologies to track anonymised measures of reach and engagement. We do not collect any personal or location data through this process. We augment this data with regular public surveys to test overall engagement rates in public spaces.
We consistently find over 50% active engagement with STORYBOX programming in public spaces, and over time can report this as a percentage of overall foot traffic. This methodology adapts existing measures of outdoor reach and engagement used by outdoor media, but instead of prioritising commercial sales outcomes, we prioritise impact.
Ambient Commons has been established through the STORYBOX digital engagement program as a world-leading example of ‘platform civics’, taking a citizen-led approach to digital placemaking and urban digital design. The methods draw on research into best practice urban digital governance developed by Dr. Sarah Barns (STORYBOX Co-Founder).
Get in touch to discuss how Ambient Commons can be used in your public space digital engagement program.
Public Art & Placemaking Measurement Tools
STORYBOX adopts the Ambient Commons methodology as a research framework for expanding the way we value public art and placemaking in public settings.
This includes:
Measures of sentiment towards culture and place through custom surveys
Measures of reach & engagement through digital sensors and interactives
If you’re interested to learn more, get in touch.
Above: STORYBOX x Art Gallery of NSW activation in Darling Square for the Cao Fei major exhibition, January 2025.
Example
insights
STORYBOX reports on exposure by location, sentiment insights via surveys, and integrated digital engagement across mobile and outdoor exposure. Sources: STORYBOX Canberra, STORYBOX Parramatta and Birds of Australia STORYBOX Audience Reports.
