Social dynamics are often difficult to comprehend. So it is fitting that Penn Station, the busiest hub in New York's vast network of public transportation, is hidden from view beneath a non-descript building. But the imperceptibility of this space serves as more than a metaphor for the conceptual difficulty of understanding public activity. The architecture of Penn Station affords few tangible opportunities for people to observe how their movement affects others. And without such a perspective, it is difficult to appreciate the value of public space, much less contribute to its development in any meaningful way.
 
Congestion is among the many systemic problems that occur at Penn Station as a result of people's inability to grasp the relationship between their movement and the dynamics others. And neither the signage that is intended to direct movement nor the spatial design of the station provide the type of information that people require in order to deal with congestion and similar systemic problems. The periodic arrival and departure updates that punctuate the station's static signage do not adequately address people's needs as they arise. And the compartmentalization of architectural space offers no perspective on the interrelationships of the different systems of transportation that converge at the station. Lack of attention to these dynamics fosters confusion and frustration among many who use Penn Station, reactions that are all too often associated with public space.
 
Technology is already in place, however, that could be repurposed to provide people with the maps that they require in order to make efficient use of Penn Station. And perhaps more important, this technology could enable new systems of social interaction to emerge in response to people's future needs. All that is required to repurpose this technology is an interface that allows people to interact with a stream of information to which they currently have no access: surveillance video.
 
Movement throughout Penn Station is already mapped dynamically on an ongoing basis by hundreds of video cameras. This information is used to provide insight into the activities of those who use the space. But the public currently has no access to this insight. Feedback that could give people a perspective on how their personal behavior affects that of others is restricted. This project makes such feedback widely available. Information that is captured by surveillance cameras is provided to people where and when it is needed. Moreover, the interface that is used to convey such information also enables people to use personal SMS-based technology, such as cell phones, to build a second level of feedback on top of that which has already been extracted from the surveillance video.
 
When used for tasks such as communicating one's location to a friend whom one is trying to meet, or for entertaining oneself and others by creating and playing location-oriented games, this project provides a useful new dimension to Penn Station. The feedback loops that are created address more, however, than just the practical concerns of those who use the space. Such feedback facilitates emergent behavior. By providing access to information that is currently restricted to those in positions of authority, the project gives people a framework with which to develop new solutions to the problems they face. And because this framework is premised on open communication, it affords the high level of participation that robust public activity demands.
 
Public space is often compromised when informational dimensions receive less attention than their spatial counterparts. Penn Station is emblematic of such neglect. This project addresses the issue by providing feedback. And in so doing, it creates an opportunity for the public to map their space in a new way.