Publications
Crowd-counting technology within the Smart City context: understanding, trust, and acceptance
Public understanding and trust are key to the acceptance of crowd-counting technologies in smart cities, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A study on Bamberg’s old town found that functional explanations—focusing on project purpose rather than technical details—significantly improve comprehension, which in turn enhances public trust and acceptance. The research, combining exploratory interviews, field studies, and online surveys, also revealed that trust directly influences acceptance, emphasizing the need for clear, effective communication to overcome privacy concerns. These insights highlight the importance of tailoring project explanations to foster understanding while prioritizing data protection, ensuring smoother adoption of smart city solutions.
Places and Spaces of the Others. A German Reception Centre in Public Discourse and Individual Perception
Refugee reception centers, often seen as transient 'non-places,' play a significant role in both public discourse and individual perception of migrants. A study focusing on the Bamberg Reception Centre in Germany, which opened in 2015 during a political crisis over asylum policies, reveals that these centers are not just spaces of transit but also dynamic sites where diverse perceptions, coping strategies, and spatial behaviors emerge. Initially housing predominantly Western Balkan asylum seekers, the center's resident composition became more heterogeneous from 2016 onward. The research highlights the fluid nature of such centers, shaped by legal treatment, discrimination, medical care, schooling, and the short duration of stay, reflecting broader social and individual challenges faced by migrants in receiving countries.
‘No past, no future?’ An ICOMOS perspective on cultural heritage and the sustainability agenda
Bamberg's World Heritage status is not just about preserving its historical significance but also about integrating it with intangible cultural heritage, such as urban gardening traditions, to foster sustainable development. The study highlights how Bamberg addresses environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and peace and security, demonstrating that inclusive social development and economic growth are key outcomes of heritage conservation efforts. Bamberg's high degree of social cohesion and safety further underscores its model for balancing cultural preservation with broader societal benefits. This perspective, rooted in ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) principles, shows that sustainable development can be achieved by connecting tangible and intangible heritage, making it a relevant case for global World Heritage sites.
Ambient vibration testing and dynamic identification of a historical building. Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (Germany).
Researchers successfully applied ambient vibration testing to dynamically characterize specific elements of the Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, a late Baroque-Rococo historical building near Bamberg, Germany. By using operational modal analysis, they identified key dynamic structural parameters of the masonry roof, enabling more accurate adjustments to numerical models and providing deeper insights into the structure's actual behavior. This non-destructive approach offers a novel method for assessing the structural integrity of historical constructions without altering their physical properties.
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