Policy Framework for the Capacity of Netnography as a Method in Studies of Mediatecture"

Subject Areas : Urbanism

Rasouli Mohammad Reza ¹

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Received: 2025-09-13 Accepted : 2025-11-27 Published : 2025-11-26

Keywords: Netnography, Mediatecture, Digital Culture, Social Networks,

Abstract :

In recent decades, the expansion of digital platforms and social media has significantly transformed human perception of urban and architectural spaces (Graham & Marvin, 2001). These developments have led to the emergence of approaches such as Mediatecture —architecture as a medium—in which spatial experience is shaped through media representations (Kronhagel, 2010). This study adopts a qualitative and documentary analysis approach combined with secondary netnography to explore the role and capacity of netnography in examining digitalized architectural spaces (Kozinets, 2019). The aim is to investigate how netnography can serve as an effective method to uncover users' spatial experiences in environments that are both physical and media-based. Findings reveal that netnography offers valuable insights into user-generated representations, visual narratives, and meaningful discourses on social platforms, thereby enriching architectural understanding of spatial consumption (Hine, 2015). Drawing on documented examples from contemporary urban spaces in Iran, this paper proposes a localized conceptual framework for applying ethnography in spatially-oriented urban studies and participatory design practices. Finally, three operational policies are suggested for urban institutions: (1) mandatory pre-design evaluation based on digital feedback; (2) launching a Social Observatory for Space (S-OBS); and (3) developing a participatory design protocol grounded in ethnographic data.

References:


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