09/08/2025
Sentiment Topographies
Mapping the emotional life of the city
How do people feel about urban space — and how can we map that sentiment?
In this two-part online course, we’ll use Flickr metadata, sentiment analysis, and Grasshopper to explore public emotion as a spatial layer. From likes and comments to poetic 3D terrains, we’ll trace how collective perception leaves its mark on the city.
You’ll learn how to:
Use the Flickr API to collect geolocated image data
Apply sentiment analysis using Python (no coding experience needed)
Visualize urban emotion as a 3D “Sentiment Topography” in Grasshopper
Reflect on how digital traces can inform design and planning
Course details:
Dates: 6th & 7th September
Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (UK Time)
Platform: Zoom
Requirements: Windows 10 (64-bit), Rhino, Grasshopper, QGIS, Flickr & Gmail accounts
Max 15 participants
Beginner-friendly — open to architects, designers, artists, and creative technologists
Join us: https://www.flowarchitecture.co.uk/sentiment-topographies
Cities speak — not just through buildings and infrastructure, but through the digital traces we leave behind. Every geotagged photo, like, and comment carries a fragment of feeling, a glimpse into how people experience urban space.
