dr Tomasz Sowada – Principal Investigator
I am a geographer and have long been interested in issues related to how people want, can and do change the space and social reality around them. This is evident in my academic work, which initially focused on public participation in urban planning and governance. Today, this has evolved into the study of the spatial aspects of resistance, the tangible result of which is the project you are just reading about.
Privately, I have been a gamer since childhood and explore digital worlds in search of what is not otherwise available to me at any given time. This passion, by the way, is reflected in the project, in which we will also explore the manifestations of resistance in virtual gaming worlds.
In addition to this, I regularly plan and carry out further journeys that allow me to stop, broaden my horizons and look at many issues from a different perspective. I have recently been trying to combine this with developing my skills as a photographer, but this is only the beginning of my journey.
In moments when I need to log off and find a moment of relaxation on site or on the road, I reach for a good book or film. I don’t limit myself to any genres, but explore non-fiction and fantasy items in particular. This way, I can intertwine learning the dark facts of how organised crime works with the unique humour of Terry Pratchett.
dr hab. Michał Rzeszewski, prof. UAM – Investigator
Michal Rzeszewski is an associate professor at the Faculty of Human Geography and Planning, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, where he explores various configurations, geographies and cyberscapes of geospatial technologies, social processes, and virtual/mixed and augmented realities. He is the head of the Critical Geography Research Unit and Principal Investigator in the Augmented City Project funded by the Polish National Science Centre.
His background is within Earth Sciences, where he got Ph.D by doing geochemical and sedimentological analysis of backbarier marshes and tsunami deposits. In 2011 he chose to pursue his interest in GIS, web cartography, and social sciences, which resulted in research and publications focusing on the critical approach to geosocial media. He recently became involved in digital geography research, where he studied the interlinks between space and place perception and virtual and augmented reality technologies. His scientific interests also include relationships between software, code, and space.
His research draws on Critical GIS, media and communication studies, human-computer interaction, and philosophy of technology. Michal also works on developing web-based participatory mapping tools that can be used to further the public’s engagement in urban planning processes in the context of smart city agenda.