A map can tell us where a public space is. But can it tell us whether people can actually access it, use it, or even consider it public?

The ISCM Public Space Living Lab is developing the HCMC Public Space Atlas to map public spaces by typology, understand their accessibility, and identify areas of Ho Chi Minh City where public space is lacking. To ensure that mapped information reflects actual urban conditions, the Lab is inviting students to join a 12-week field research internship.

Through on-site research, interns will help validate the HCMC Public Space Atlas by combining technical site assessment with community knowledge. The aim is to better understand what these spaces actually are, how accessible they are, and how they function in everyday urban life.

2. YOUR ROLE

Field Research Interns will be trained in public space assessment methods and apply them across selected areas of Ho Chi Minh City. The field research combines two complementary perspectives:

Technical Validation

Interns will assess public space typology and classification; physical boundaries and current conditions; entrances and accessibility; connectivity with surrounding streets and neighbourhoods; existing uses and activities; physical barriers or restrictions; and differences between mapped information and actual conditions on the ground.

Community Validation

Alongside technical assessment, interns will collect community perspectives to understand whether a space is perceived as public; who uses it and who does not; how people access it; informal entrances, uses, or restrictions that may not be captured by maps; the role of the space within its neighbourhood; and locally important public spaces that may be missing from existing datasets.

3. WHAT YOU WILL DO

As a Field Research Intern, you will:

• Conduct technical visits to assigned public spaces across Ho Chi Minh City;
• Apply a consistent Public Space Living Lab assessment methodology;
• Validate the classification and accessibility of mapped public spaces;
• Conduct 10 short community surveys per assigned public space;
• Document site conditions through photographs and field observations;
• Identify discrepancies between GIS data and actual conditions;
• Record community knowledge about how spaces are perceived, accessed, and used;
• Organise and submit field data for integration into the HCMC Public Space Atlas;
• Work with the research and GIS teams to support data validation and quality control.

3. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Previous field research experience is not required. Training and guidance will be provided in:

• Public space technical assessment;
• Field mapping and spatial verification;
• Accessibility assessment;
• Public life observation;
• Community surveys and local knowledge collection;
• Photographic and spatial documentation;
• Field data collection and organisation;
• Comparing spatial datasets with real-world conditions.

4. WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The internship is suitable for current students in:

• Urban Planning;
• Architecture;
• Urban Design;
• Landscape Architecture;
• Geography;
• Sociology;
• Or related disciplines.

Applicants should be curious about cities and public space, comfortable conducting fieldwork and speaking with community members, reliable and systematic, and able to follow a consistent research methodology.

Vietnamese-speaking ability is required. English-speaking ability is a plus.

5. TIME COMMITMENT AND WORKING FORMAT

The fieldwork process is expected to run for approximately 12 weeks.

Interns will be assigned specific public spaces and will have flexibility to organise fieldwork around their academic and personal schedules.

Compensation will be provided per successfully completed and validated public space.

Each completed site must include:

• A complete technical assessment;
• 10 valid community surveys;
• Required photographs and field documentation;
• Complete digital submission;
• Successful quality review by the Public Space Living Lab team.

6. WHAT YOU WILL GAIN

By joining the program, interns will gain:

• Training in internationally used approaches to public space assessment;
• Hands-on experience conducting real urban field research;
• Experience combining technical evidence with community knowledge;
• Practical experience validating GIS and spatial information through fieldwork;
• Direct contribution to the development of the HCMC Public Space Atlas;
• Mentorship from the ISCM Public Space Living Lab team;
• A certificate upon successful completion;
• Research and portfolio experience relevant to future professional or postgraduate opportunities.

Through this program, spatial data will be validated not only against physical conditions on the ground but also through the ways people actually access, use, and understand public spaces in their everyday lives. These findings will contribute to the development of the HCMC Public Space Atlas as an evidence base for research and a deeper understanding of Ho Chi Minh City’s public space system.

7. HOW TO APPLY

Application deadline: September 30, 2026

Interested applicants are invited to submit their CV via email: iscm@ueh.edu.vn

Email subject: CALL FOR FIELD RESEARCH INTERNS | HCMC PUBLIC SPACE ATLAS

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