Page - 16 - in Mobile Culture Studies - The Journal, Volume 3/2017

16 Mobile Culture Studies. The Journal 3 2o17 Rainer Kazig, Damien Masson, Rachel Thomas | Atmospheres and Mobility to structure the space at the level of its experience and its amenity value. On the other hand, the authors also show in a smaller part of their paper how the homeless people contribute to the emergence of a specific atmosphere in the public space of the Reeperbahn. It is either an atmosphere of intimacy that helps them to create time-spaces for private activities within this public space of mobility, or a terrifying atmosphere in order to keep passers-by at distance. The specific contribution of this paper is to put explicitly forward the question of power in the discussion about atmospheres and mobilities. The last three articles address urban policies and design that have a take on mobility, or on atmospheres, and interrogate the effects of their localised ‘translations’ on lived experience of place. Patrick Naef talks about setting up “encounter zones” in Western Switzerland, and more particularly on the role these “encounter zones” play in terms of social cohesion in the neighborhoods in which they are located. He shows how this device promotes greater owner- ship of spaces and neighborhoods by pedestrians, because it appeased the ambiances. Through an anthropological survey (combining observations of pedestrian practices, interviews with architects and users, analysis of planning documents) on two study areas – the “Versoix-center” area located in the old derelict area of the train station and the area of the lively “Alt” district of Freiburg – he shows that the success of these areas is less dependent on the degree of safety it provides for pedestrians than their ability to attract the public by offering a quality atmosphere. Thus, besides the design of the “encounter zones” or the existence of urban furniture like public benches, green spaces, fountains… it is the ability of the ambiances of these areas to create an impression of conviviality and fluidity that attracts the pedestrian and allows its anchoring. The reflection of Emmanuelle Lenel is related, even if the scale of work differs. She is interested in the effects of the urban revitalization policy on the practices and the experiences of two neighborhoods in Brussels: the Heyvaert district and the Vieux Molenbeek district. The operations aim to improve the living environment and revolve around both the quality of public lighting and roads, the enhancement of the architectural heritage and the establishment of green spaces. But they also upset the spatial configuration of these neighborhoods, since it is now a matter of making them open neighborhoods, connected to central districts. What interests Emmanuel Lenel then is to grasp the way in which these physical and environmen- tal upheavals experience, that is to say, transform positively or negatively, the mobility of the inhabitants. The term “felt mobility” is at the center of her analysis and its methodological appa ratus. What it shows is that, ultimately, each ambiance shapes proven closure or opening, release or commitment, ease or discomfort, etc. But these experiences are not just personal or subjective feelings. As shared feelings, they are resources on which everyone relies to manage their relationship to their environment, its proximity to the other, its tolerance of behaviors, objects or devices considered inappropriate. Marina Popovic’s article comes from an architectural and engineering background, and questions the thermal experience of ordinary walking in cities, in this case under Madrid‘s heavy summer sun. Using an ethological approach, combined with multiple measurement devi- ces, this paper explores the effect of specific climatic events – particularly linked to mist gene- rators placed on footpaths – on pedestrians and the way they walk on streets. In that instance, mobility is addressed as walking routine, and is put into question at a sub-micro scale, called ‘pico’ by the author, in order to understand changes in motion, gesture, posture that even a bub-