PDC Places is back and will be running as part of PDC 2024!

As part of PDC 2022, we launched the first ever PDC Places Initiative. Through this initiative we aimed to reduce the conference’s carbon footprint and challenges that hinder access to the conference such as costs of travel and accommodation. We also aimed to change how knowledge is produced, shared and accessed by the PD community and the local communities that PD researchers and practitioners work with. It was an opportunity to create spaces for PD researchers and practitioners to come together within their geographically local areas and engage with PD knowledge/practice being generated there as well as that being generated by the conference. 16 PDC Places ran in 2024, with each place running activities that explored PD research and practice in their locale with activities centered around local challenges, interests and ways of being. Additionally PDC Places were brought into conversation with the conference through inviting authors of accepted papers to present at the Places and by Places organisers participating in panels where they shared Places activities with other PDC attendees.

We are currently in the process of recruiting Places. We are first re-inviting Places that ran in 2022 and would like to build on their experience by running a Place in 2024. This will be followed by an open invite for expression of interests by others interested and willing to set up new PDC Places. Expressions of interest will be reviewed by Places co-chairs and decisions will be made based on: 

1. Geographical need (i.e. region in which we currently do not have a Place confirmed).

2. Alignment with PDC 2024 conference themes.

3. Approach to inclusion and widening understandings of PD based on locale.

4. Approach to engaging with the knowledge to be generated by the conference.

Details on how/when to make an expression of interest will be shared soon, so please keep an eye out on this page and PDC social media channels.

For PDC 2024 we are keeping the same ethos for Places with some minor changes that are based on lessons learnt. As such PDC 2024 Places should aim to: 

1. Enhance diversity and inclusion by fostering participation from researchers and practitioners who could not have participated in PDC otherwise.

2. Shape a local event programme and activities that reflect a local communities’ interests and that interplays with the wider PDC programme through engaging with programme presenters and publications.

3. Strengthen relationships by fostering North-South and South-South connectedness and engagement.

4. Run Places activities in August 2024, 2-3 days before or after the main conference that will be running from 12th-16th of August. 

5. Make a 1 page submission to Places that will be part of the conference proceedings. Places should use the PDC template and should include:

• Names of organisers and affiliations
• Place location, title, goals and format (in-person only or hybrid)
• Places duration (half-day, full-day, 2 full days etc.)
• Relevance to PD and/or conference theme
• Proposed activities of the Place
• How the Place will engage with understandings and praxis of Participatory Design within their locale
• How Place activities will engage with knowledge generated through the conference (e.g. invite accepted authors as speakers, unpack accepted papers)
• Who will be the target audience for participation in the Place (e.g. students, practitioners, communities, elders, researchers from other disciplines)

Submissions will be reviewed by the Places co-chairs. They will provide suggested changes prior to the submission of the camera-ready version. Dates of the submission points will be communicated to Places organisers in due time.