Hybrid Spaces: Presence, Rhythms and Performativity

Online and mobile socially networked spaces and real-world places are connecting and converging in numerous and complex ways. The physical and material space of the city is augmented with layers of technology/media and social behaviours which changes how we interact. A key impact is how it affects the characteristics of presence in space but there are also more subtle changes in the temporality and social behaviours. The focus of the first half of the paper is on how to understand three changing aspects of hybrid space. Three characteristics of hybrid space are discussed and described, firstly presence, secondly rhythms and finally performativity. The summary outlines briefly the corresponding implications and effects on urban space for how it is inhabited and experienced.