The future of cities

PSFK presents

THE FUTURE
OF CITIES
A

REPORT
LABS

INTRODUCTION
Imagine a downtown that changes from a commercial center during the day
to a vibrant cultural district at night, and is served by transportation hubs
that facilitate multiple modes of travel. The surrounding neighborhoods
are comprised of mixed-use residential buildings that contain adaptable
micro-units to accommodate single residents and entire families with
systems that recycle grey water to support rooftop farms. The entire
urban landscape becomes an interactive canvas, providing new outlets for
entertainment
and
exchange,
and
reflecting
the
sentiment
of
its
populace. Within this context, the actions of individual residents help positively
impact the fabric of daily life, as they come together to share
information, experiences and even physical goods with one another, raising the
collective value of their communities.
The UN estimates that by 2050 there will be 10 billion people living on
the planet and 75% of them will be in cities. With such a large percentage of the population living, working and socializing in urban centers, the
traditional construct of today’s cities will have to radically change to
support the needs of their citizens. Current models for housing, food,
education, transportation, energy and infrastructure will need to be re-imagined to sustain such large numbers of residents and allow them to thrive.

Aided by connected technologies, social platforms and flexible design thinking, many cities across the globe are already beginning to implement progressive solutions to many of these challenges. When viewed as a whole, these
innovations begin to create a compelling blueprint for transforming the way
urban centers are developed and how they continue to grow and operate.
Beyond access to the basic necessities, cities must aspire to provide a higher
quality of life by promoting environmental initiatives, beautification projects
and shared systems and encourage citizens, public services, and businesses to
work together to improve their communities.
In the following pages, the team at PSFK Labs will contribute its point of vie w
to this exciting converstion, showca ing 28 key trends that are helping to define
the Future of Cities. To help understand their larger significance, the trends
have been organized into five macro themes: Maximized Space, Sensible City, Citizen Sourced, Urban Canvas and Green Scaping. Each trend is
accompanied by descriptions of three best-in-class manifestations, other relevant examples of innovation and a list of related experts that readers can
tap into for further conversation. We hope that this report offers a framework that can be leveraged by developers, planners, local governments and
citizens to help remake their own cities and neighborhoods.
www.psfk.com/future-of-cities

The Future Of Cities Report
LABS

A

SUPPORTED BY

CREATED BY

This report would not have been possible without the help of two valuable
sponsors who share our forward-looking vision. PSFK would like to kindly
thank Prodigy Network and BD Bacata for their support.

PSFK Labs creates thought leading content that provides its clients and their
audiences with ideas and inspiration. Our trends research helps companies
evolve their products, services and communications to meet the changing behaviors and expectations of their customers, partners and society. Our unique
methodology to describe the future has been employed by a client list that
includes American Express, BMW, Microsoft, Target and Pepsi.

Prodigy Network.
Real Estate marketing and development company based on Wall Street with
outlets in Miami and Bogota. Its projects are the best in all of their markets
and are recognized for their inspirational qualities. Rodrigo Niño, Prodigy Network’s president, is the creator and director of My Ideal City.

http://labs.psfk.com/

http://prodigynetwork.com/
BD Promotors.
BD
Promotors
is
a
real
estate
development
company
based
in
Barcelona, Spain. They are responsible for construction of BD Bacata, an
architectural complex that is being built in Bogota, Colombia through
crowdfunding. The first crowdfunded initiative of its scale, the building will be
66 stories tall, making it the tallest building in Bogota.
http://www.bdbacata.com/
http://www.bdpromotors.com/

LABS

B

TABLE OF CONTENTS
MAXIMIZED SPACE

02

URBAN CANVAS

95

1. Pop-Up Culture
2. Elastic Environments
3. Snap-On Housing
4. Micro Living
5. Multi-Modal Transit Hubs
6. Creative Clusters

03
08
13
18
23
28

19. Derelict Revival
20. Infrastructure Reboot
21. Enhanced Facades
22. Culture Hacking
23. Landscape Narratives
24. Architectural Infographics

96
101

SENSIBLE CITY

33

GREEN SCAPING

7. Citizen Sensor Networks
8. Hyperlocal Reporting
9. Just-In-Time Alerts
10. Proximity Services
11. Data Transparency
12. Intelligent Transportation

34
39
44
49
54
59

25. Clean Air Everywhere
26. Recycled Resource Systems
27. Micro Parks
28. Compact Farming

CITIZEN SOURCED

64

13. Crowd Planned
14. Community Currency
15. Collaborative Economy
16. Social Pairing
17. Micro Financing
18. Shared Transport

65
70
75
80
85
90

LABS

106
111
116
121

126
127
132
137
142

VERSION 1.0

C

THE FUTURE OF CITIES

MAXIMIZED SPACE

SENSIBLE CITY

CITIZEN SOURCED

URBAN CANVAS

1. Pop-Up Culture


13. Crowd Planned







3. Snap-On Housing




26. Recycled Resource
Systems

4. Micro Living


16. Social Pairing

22. Culture Hacking



17. Micro Financing






LABS

GREEN SCAPING

27. Micro Parks
28. Compact Farming

1

MAXIMIZED SPACE
Creative design solutions for making urban lifestyles feel
limitless within a finite amount of space.

TRENDS

TENDENCIAS

1. Pop-Up Culture

1. Cultura Itinerante


2. Espacios Flexibles

ESPACIO MAXIMIZADO

3. Snap-On Housing

3. Edificios Ensamblados

4. Micro Living

4. Micro Viviendo

Soluciones creativas de diseño para la
fabricación de estilos de vida urbanos sin sentir

5. Multi-Modal
Transit Hubs

5. Centros de Transporte
Integrado


6. Clústeres Creativos

LABS

límites dentro de un espacio limitado.

2

POP-UP
CULTURE
Architects and planners are experimenting with temporary venues
designed to be quickly deployed and assembled to host temporary
events like performances and films. These flash experiences connect
with an ever changing audience, while highlighting locally sourced
content and bringing cultural enrichment into people’s lives.

CULTURA ITINERANTE
Debido a que algunas ciudades no pueden tener acceso inmediato a los
fondos disponibles o bien en el espacio para apoyar la infraestructura
cultural permanente dentro de los entornos públicos, los arquitectos y
los planificadores están imaginando escenarios flexibles y rápidamente
desplegables diseñados para acoger eventos temporales de actuaciones
para el cine. Estas son las experiencias flash de conectar con un público
en constante cambio, además de destacar el contenido de origen local y la
inyección de disfrute en día a día la gente.

LABS

3

Collapsible Movie Theater
Can Be Transported
By A Single Truck
The Moveable Movie Theater is a portable movie theater that is
designed to be transported on a single truck. The theater’s rectangular
structure is composed of several sections, each layer housed within
another, much like a nesting doll. When in use, the accordion-like
layers are simply pulled out into a functional, multi-level theater.
Created by Japanese designer Yusuke Yamamoto, the current design
is able to fit approximately 30 people. The design is also lined with
bookshelves to double as a moveable library. Yamamoto has said that
he hopes his design will bring ‘smiles to the faces’ of those currently
living in the tsunami-ravaged Tohoku region of Japan.
www.yusukeyamamoto.net

LABS

4

Deployable Sidewalk Theatre
Connects City Dwellers
Stairway Cinema is a mobile movie theater created for urban
environments that converts an ordinary building stoop into a popup cinema. Created by the experimental design collective, OH.NO.
SUMO from Auckland, New Zealand, the micro-theater can be grafted
onto the front steps of a building so that the stairs become seats
for films and other visually-rich content. In addition to providing
entertainment, the cinema doubles as a refuge from rain, and as a
place for random social encounters between city dwellers.
www.ohnosumo.com

LABS

5

ELASTIC
ENVIRONMENTS
To keep pace with the changing face of downtown areas as they
transition from understated business and commerce centers by
day into lively areas for social and cultural engagements by night,
developers are designing infrastructure that can adapt to meet
an evolving set of needs. These flexible solutions accommodate a
range of potential uses, transforming any environment into a multiuse destination that attracts a mix of demographics.

ESPACIOS FLEXIBLES
Para mantener el ritmo con el rostro cambiante de los centros urbanos en
la transición desde negocio discreto y centros de comercio del día a día a
las animadas zonas de compromisos sociales y culturales por la noche, los
desarrolladores están diseñando una infraestructura que puede adaptarse
para satisfacer en conjunto la evolución de las necesidades. Estas soluciones
ﬂexibles dan cabida a una serie de casos de uso, ya que pueden transformar
cualquier ambiente en un destino de uso múltiple, que atrae a una mezcla de
demografía.

LABS

8

Gourmet Tea Shop
Folds Out Of The Wall
The Gourmet Tea is a store in São Paulo, Brazil that is hidden behind a
multi-colored wall, but unfolds onto the street from a compact cube.
During opening times, the wall transforms into a fully equipped shop,
complete with a counter that slides forward from beneath a hatch,
shelves that are wheeled out from behind a panel, and a cupboard
that emerges from inside a large door. The modular plywood box
‘pops out’ of a space to create a colorful, dynamic atmosphere that
can be customized to suit a variety of retail needs.
bit.ly/MMA3hr

LABS

9

Parking Garage By Day
Converts into Event Space
By Night
11 11 is a multipurpose, premium parking garage in Miami Beach, Florida
that doubles as a venue for weddings, wine tastings, yoga classes and
more. Developed by art collector, Robert Wennett, and the architects
of London’s Tate Modern and the Beijing 2008 Olympic Stadium,
Herzog & de Meuron, the oversized loft-looking building features
extraordinarily high ceilings, mixed retail and parking services and
venue rental space that, thanks to the absence of exterior walls, offers
event guests sweeping views of the city. The project showcases the
potential for creating civic spaces through mixed-use environments.
www.1111lincolnroad.com

LABS

10

SNAP-ON
HOUSING
As a way to accommodate an increasing influx of urban residents,
architects
and
planners
are
experimenting
with
construction
techniques that allow for the rapid assembly of housing and other
structures, often onto the footprints of existing buildings. These
modular, prefab designs can be used as standalone dwellings
or stacked together to create multi-unit buildings that can be
adapted for a variety of uses. Whether created in pieces or, in some
cases, pre-assembled units, the on-demand nature of this style of
architecture is changing the pace at which areas can be developed
and expanding available real estate, while reducing associated
labor and costs.

EDIFICIOS ENSAMBLADOS
Para acomodar el creciente influjo de personas hacia zonas urbanas
arquitectos y planificadores urbanos están experimentado con técnicas
constructivas que les ayuden a ensamblar edificios fácilmente, así como
la fabricación de módulos que puedan añadirse a la propia estructura del
edificio. Estos diseños modulares prefabricados pueden usarse para crear
edificios independientes o multi unitarios que se pueden adaptar para
diversos usos. La naturaleza ‘on demand’ de este estilo de arquitectura con
módulos prefabricados está acelerando la velocidad en que áreas pueden ser
desarrolladas y está ayudando a expandir el terreno construible a la vez que
se reducen los costes de mano de obra y producción.
LABS

13

Vertical Prefab Gym Adapts
To Any Urban Structure
Design studio Urban-Think Tank has built a 4,000-square-meter
prefab vertical gym in a slum of Caracas, Venezuela. The four-floor
gym has the dimensions of a basketball court, and it has already
proven its effectiveness: after it opened in 2004, crime in the
surrounding neighborhood dropped 30%. The gym is programmed
at any time of the day or night, with everything from dance therapy
classes to chess tournaments.
www.u-tt.com

LABS

14

Prefab Housing Additions
Stack Vertically Onto
Existing Infrastructure
The MuReRe housing concept adds prefabricated units on top of
existing structures in order to enhance and expand a city’s built
environment. Created by Argentine architect Adamo Faiden, the
prefabricated concept features steel framed structures that are
relatively light, fast to deploy, and adaptable to the underlying
building. Once installed, the units can improve the building’s existing
infrastructure by collecting rainwater or by incorporating solarpanels. The concept utilizes the flat rooftop architecture predominant
in most Argentine cities as a basis for its design, but its modular
offering is scalable worldwide.
www.adamo-faiden.com.ar

LABS

16

MICRO LIVING
As a larger percentage of the population chooses to reside in
cities, a greater emphasis has been placed on the importance
of space. As a result, there has been a shift towards living
spaces that are designed to take up a smaller footprint without
sacrificing on functionality or comfort. These creative solutions
rely on multipurpose furniture, adaptive interior environments
and the efficient use of resources to accommodate a range of
living styles and needs.

MICRO VIVIENDO
Dado que un número elevado del porcentaje de la población reside en las
ciudades, ha habido un mayor énfasis en la importancia del espacio. Como
resultado, se ha producido un cambio hacia espacios vivos que se han
diseñado para desarrollarse sobre un espacio más pequeño sin sacriﬁcar
la funcionalidad o la comodidad. Estas soluciones creativas se basan en los
muebles multiusos, adaptables para crear ambientes interiores haciendo
un uso eﬁciente de los recursos para dar cabida a una amplia gama de
estilos de vida y necesidades.

LABS

18

Miniature Dwelling Proposal
Creates The Smallest
Apartments In The US
City officials in San Francisco approved a proposal has reduced the
minimum size requirements for a residential apartment from 290
square feet to 220, effectively paving the way for architects to begin
designing what will be the nation’s smallest apartments. To minimize
living space in each unit, the proposed micro-units feature shared
communal space for residents and adaptable interior schematics,
including window seats that convert to spare beds and beds that
can transform into tables. In a burgeoning metropolis where over
41% of residents live alone, the proposal creates plentiful, affordable
housing ideal for students, artists and seniors. Additionally, the microunits are estimated to range in cost from $1,200 to $1,700 a month,
whereas the average studio apartment in San Francisco currently
rents for $2,075.
www.sfgov.org

LABS

19

Transformer Furnishing
Collection Saves Space
Resource Furniture has successfully designed a 300 square foot
apartment through the use of transforming furniture. Resource offers
space saving pieces like the Box Table used in the adAPT mock-up;
the table converts from a coffee table to an eight person dining table.
Resource Furniture is seeking to redefine the possibilities of urban
living with a line of space-saving furnishings hand-selected for their
ability to transform a space with both beauty and functionality. With
pieces designed to cleverly unpack or stow-away on command, the
line is designed to unlock potential in small spaces.
www.resourcefurniture.com

LABS

21

MULTI-MODAL
TRANSIT HUBS
City planners and transportation agencies are considering multiuse transit centers as a way to reduce congestion and increase
transportation efficiency. These hubs combine multiple forms of
public transportation such as trains and buses with shared systems
like bikes and cars, allowing people to access the best form of
transportation based on their current needs. In addition, these
spaces typically contain parking for personal vehicles, as well as
additional travel services such as repair, retail and changing facilities.

CENTROS DE TRANSPORTE
INTEGRADO
Los urbanistas y las agencias de transporte están considerando formas de
simpliﬁcar las soluciones de transporte a los centros de multi-uso en un
esfuerzo por reducir la congestión y permitir a las personas moverse de
manera más eﬁciente. Estos centros suelen combinar múltiples formas de
transporte público, como trenes y autobuses con sistemas compartidos como
bicicletas y coches, permitiendo a la gente a acceder de la mejor forma de
transporte en función de sus necesidades actuales. Además, estos espacios
suelen contener aparcamiento para vehículos particulares, así como servicios
adicionales de viaje.

LABS

23

China’s City Of The Future
Links Multiple Transit Options
In Strategic Hubs
A design for China’s Beijing Bohai Innovation City establishes a multimodal transportation solution intended to spur the use of public
transit at an unprecedented urban scale. The award winning design by
architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill uses transportation hubs linking
trains, bikes and pedestrians to urban activities and businesses as
well as nearby seaports, airports and metropolitan areas. In addition,
the plan calls for an advanced multi-modal transportation network
that unites high-speed rail with metro lines, bus rapid transit, local
streetcar and a state-of-the-art electric car fleet.
bit.ly/ziGDMl

LABS

24

Bus Stop In Paris
Includes Electric Bike Rentals
The Station Diderot outside the Gare de Lyon in Paris is a bus stop
doubling as community center and modular transportation hub,
complete with an electirc-bike rental station. Created by urban
designer Marc Aurel, the structure has been designed to blend into
the urban environment, with a ‘transport facade’ and an ‘urban facade’
with each side catering for their respective user.
It additionally
offers riders a variety of services, from a book lending library and an
electric-bike rental station to phone charging outlets, free WiFi, and
a snack and coffee kiosk.The stop is completely modular and its size
can therefore be tailored to specific locations.
http://bit.ly/Kzz9p1

LABS

25

CREATIVE
CLUSTERS
As a way to breathe life back into forgotten corners of a city,
there has been a renewed push to develop an artistic and
cultural
infrastructure
like
galleries,
studios
and
workshops
within
transitional
neighborhoods.
By
highlighting
educational
programming and creative self-expression, these grassroots efforts
seek to build a strong anchor for the surrounding community that
is attractive to both residents and visitors. As these areas establish
themselves as destinations, they open the door for further social and
business ventures, adding to the collective benefit of a place.

CLÚSTERES CREATIVOS
Una de las maneras de reactivar algunos rincones olvidados de la ciudad
es desarrollar una infraestructura artística y cultural mediante galerías,
estudios y ‘workshops’ en barrios emergentes. El énfasis en los esfuerzos
para desarrollar programas educativos en que se promueva la autoexpresión,
tiene como objetivo crear un sustrato para la comunidad que atraiga tanto
a residentes como a visitantes. Estas áreas aspiran a establecerse como
destinos en si y pueden abrir la puerta a futuras iniciativas empresariales y
añadir beneﬁcios colectivos al barrio.

LABS

28

Organization Revitalizes
Local Community Through
The Arts And Culture
Philadelphia’s Village of Arts and Humanities is a community-based
organization supporting youth revitalizing their communities through
art and culture. Founded by artist Lily Yeh, the organization engages
youth in community-oriented artistic expression through a selfpublished magazine and in the renovation of urban lots and empty
buildings with murals, mosaics, and gardens. The Village inspires
people to be agents of positive change by providing the support and
resources for citizens to improve their communities from the bottom
up in ways that preserve heritage and respect the environment.
www.villagearts.org

LABS

29

Chinese Art District
Attracts Community Of
Cultural Tastemakers
The Dashanzi Art District (798 Art District) in Beijing is a neighborhood
of Communist-era factories and warehouses converted into art
galleries, boutiques, coffee shops, and restaurants. The district is
re-nowned for artists renting out, and remaking the factory spaces,
gradually developing them into galleries, art centers, artists’ studios,
design companies, restaurants, and bars. Attracting talent and
attention from all around, this district of the city is bringing together
contemporary art, architecture, and culture with a historically
interesting location and an urban lifestyle. For example, 798 Space
is a new rising, avant-garde and trendy space that hosts high-level
cultural, artistic and commercial activities that can hold more than
1000 guests with ease.
www.798district.com

LABS

30

SENSIBLE CITY
Bringing intelligence to the city and
its citizens through the free flow of
information and data, helps improve both
immediate and long-term decision making.
TRENDS

TENDENCIAS


1. Sensores Dentro de las
Redes Ciudadanas


2. Reportes Hiperlocales
3. Alertas Justo a Tiempo
4. Servicios De Proximidad
5. Transparencia
de Infomación

ESPACIO MAXIMIZADO
Llevar inteligencia a la ciudad y a sus
ciudadanos a través de la libre circulación de
información y datos, que ayudan a mejorar
tanto de inmediato como a largo plazo, la
toma de decisiones.

6. Transporte Inteligente
LABS

33

CITIZEN SENSOR
NETWORKS
Sensor-laden personal electronics are collecting data that, when
analyzed, provides insight and real-time intelligence to improve
communities. By routinely monitoring environmental and other
forms of data, communities can contribute to a public pool of
knowledge, enabling any interested party to make more informed
choices about their surroundings. These feedback systems require
little infrastructure, transforming people into sensory nodes with
little effort on their part.

SENSORES DENTRO DE LAS
REDES CIUDADANAS
A través de métodos pasivos de recolección de datos, las personas están
encontrando formas innovadoras de reunir y compartir información para
ayudar a mejorar sus comunidades. Un número cada vez mayor de tecnologías
personales están equipadas con sensores que tienen la capacidad de reunir
datos etiquetados geográﬁcamente mientras la gente va sobre su día a día—el
establecimiento de una red en tiempo real, de sensor humano- Monitoreando
regularmente las formas ambientales y otro tipo de datos, las comunidades
pueden contribuir a una piscina pública de conocimiento, para que cualquier
interesado pueda disponer de información y así tomar decisiones sabiendo lo
que ocurre en su entorno.

LABS

34

Sensor Detects Potholes And
Reports Them To City Officials
Street Bump is a crowdsourcing project that helps residents improve
their neighborhood streets by collecting data around real-time road
conditions while they drive. Using the mobile application’s motiondetecting accelerometer, Street Bump is able to sense when a bump
is hit, while the phone’s GPS records the location. The system filters
out things like manhole covers and speed bumps using a series of
algorithms—including one that can tell if the initial motion is up
over a speed bump, as opposed to down into a pothole. If at least
three people hit a bump in the same spot, the system recognizes it
as a pothole. City planners believe that this aggregated information
cannot only be utilized to fix immediate problems, but also plan longterm infrastructure investments.
www.streetbump.org

LABS

35

Smart Inhalers Track
Usage to Save Lives
Asthmapolis is a suite of tools designed to help patients and health
providers better monitor the behavior of asthma. Each time the inhaler
is used, a bluetooth-enabled sensor records the time and location. The
location-specific information is transferred to Asthmapolis’ servers
where the data can be used by individuals to track their response to
treatments or by public health officials to spot and map patterns and
outbreaks.
asthmapolis.com

LABS

36

HYPERLOCAL
REPORTING
Crowdsourced information platforms are changing the top-down
nature of how news is gathered and disseminated by placing
reporting tools in the hands of citizens, allowing any individual to
instantly broadcast about the environment around them. Often
using mobile phone technology, these information monitoring
systems not only provide real-time, location-specific data, but
also boost civic engagement by establishing direct channels of
communication
between
an
individual
and
their
surrounding
community.

REPORTES HIPERLOCALES
Las plataformas de información, crowdsourced, están cambiando en cuanto
ala naturaleza de cómo las noticias se recopilan y difunden mediante la
colocación de instrumentos de información en manos de los ciudadanos, lo
que permite a cualquier persona poder transmitir en ese instante acerca de
la situación que les rodea. A menudo utilizando la tecnología de telefonía
móvil, estos sistemas de monitoreo no sólo proporcionan información en
tiempo real con los datos especíﬁcos de la localización, sino que también
impulsan la participación ciudadana mediante el establecimiento de canales
de comunicación directos desde cero, mientras que ayudan a garantizar el
bienestar comunitario.
LABS

39

Twitter Reported Crimes
In Mexico Get Mapped
In Real-Time
Retio is a mobile application that allows Mexican citizens to report
on organized crime and corruption using social media. Platform
contributors use the Twitter handle that corresponds with the
city they are in (e.g. @RetioMID for Mérida), and then tweet out a
description of the issue at hand, and if possible, an accompanying
photo. Each issue is plotted on a map, allowing users and authorities
to get an overall idea of what has been reported or narrow results
down to specific incidents. Retio’s Twitter feeds are available in
multiple cities throughout every Mexican state and the creators hope
to bring it to other countries as well, giving citizens a tool to actively
combat problems in their communities.
www.ret.io/mx

LABS

40

Drivers Share Road
Congestion Reports
In Real-Time
Waze is a free mobile app recently purchased by Google that offers real-time
maps and traffic info sourced directly from its community of drivers. In addition
to providing drivers turn-by-turn navigation information, the app allows users to
quickly and easily report road incidents like traffic jams or accidents. The community-powered app can help drivers planning a trip alter their route based on traffic
problems in the area. Additionally, the crowdsourced traffic information is used
to augment real-time wayfinding by updating maps.

www.waze.com

LABS

41

JUST-IN-TIME
ALERTS
As an increasing number of city services are networked with the
cloud, the management and flow of information between various
agencies, officials and citizens becomes more responsive, quickly
disseminating
important
messages
and
alerts
throughout
a
population using a combination of phone calls, SMS texts, or emails.
The just-in-time nature of these notification systems ensures that
every person has the most current and accurate news at hand,
helping provide an intelligent basis to form opinions or make
decisions.

ALERTAS JUSTO A TIEMPO
Un número cada vez mayor de servicios de la ciudad están conectados en
la red con ‘la nube’, la gestión y el ﬂujo de información entre los distintos
organismos, funcionarios y ciudadanos se vuelve más sensible, rápida
difusión de los mensajes importantes y alertas a través de una población
que utiliza una combinación de llamadas telefónicas, correos electrónicos o
textos SMS . La naturaleza de ‘JUSTO EN ESE MOMENTO’ de estos sistemas
de notiﬁcación nos aseguran que cada persona tiene la noticia más actual y
precisa en la mano, ayudando a proporcionar una base inteligente para la
formación de opiniones o tomar decisiones.
LABS

44

Citizens Warned Of Impending
Earthquakes On Mobile Device
The government in Mexico city has launched a mobile-phone
application that will give citizens a one minute advance notice of
impending quakes. The free app will emit a ‘Seismic Alert’ in the form
of a sound when an earthquake is on its way, allowing residents to
evacuate buildings or engage in emergency preparations. Tremors
striking the city tend to originate near the coast, allowing officials to
receive early warning and alert mobile users.
bit.ly/HcmfHk

LABS

46

Curated App Delivers
City Specific Alerts
SPUN is a location-based mobile application that allows citizens to
get their finger on the pulse of a city providing users with constantly
updated urban guides, insider tip sheet, and local news. The app
curates stories from hundreds of news and lifestyle sources –
including new restaurant openings, fashion boutiques, and concerts,
for example – and ‘spins’ them into mobile form for local users.
www.getspun.com

LABS

47

PROXIMITY
SERVICES
Mobile technology platforms are leveraging location as a key
metric for helping citizens seamlessly access a host of services
to help them better navigate their urban environments. Whether
providing a real-time map of available parking spots or instantly
connecting nearby people around location-specific conversations
and meetups, these solutions make it easier for anyone to easily find
and tap into services and information when they need them most.

SERVICIOS DE PROXIMIDAD
Las plataformas móviles de última tecnología están aprovechando la
ubicación como una medida clave para ayudar a los ciudadanos acceder
sin problemas a una serie de servicios para ayudar a navegar mejor sus por
entornos urbanos. Ya sea proporcionando un mapa en tiempo real de plazas
de aparcamiento disponibles o instantáneamente conectando a las personas
cercanas en torno a una ubicación concreta conversaciones y cumplir-ups,
estas soluciones hacen que sea más fácil para que cualquiera ya que se puede
encontrar fácilmente y aprovechar los servicios y la información cuando más
los necesitan.

LABS

49

Parking App Reveals
Available Spaces Nearby
ParkMe is a parking application that helps drivers find real-time
parking availability in color coded maps that highlight the most
likely availability for parking on a block-by-block basis. Drawing
from a comprehensive parking database detailing 25,000 worldwide
locations in more than 500 cities and 19 countries, factors such as
street sweeping schedules, hour limits and pricing are available for
street parking, metered parking, parking lots and parking garages. For
drivers, the service includes in-app rate calculators, route navigation
and a timer. For businesses, the ParkMe widget allows merchant sites
to feature real-time parking availability near their location.
www.parkme.com

LABS

51

Locate And Reserve Time
Slots At EV Charging Stations
The ChargePoint Network mobile application helps EV drivers find and
reserve time slots at nearby charging stations. The app maps available
stations near a specified address, provides turn-by-turn driving
directions and allows users to secure, modify and cancel reservations.
A collaboration between energy firm Fuji Electric Corporation, and
electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure company Coulomb Technologies,
the app is helping EV drivers connect to the resources they require in
any location, while the real-time maps serves to improve EV mobility.
www.chargepoint.net

LABS

52

DATA
TRANSPARENCY
City
administrators,
institutions,
and
companies
are
publicly
sharing data generated within their systems to add new levels of
transparency and accountability. Access to this information not only
strengthens civic engagement, but also establishes a collaborative
agenda at all levels of government that empowers citizens through
greater access and agency.

TRANSPARENCIA DE
INFOMACIÓN
Administradores de la ciudad, instituciones y compañías comparten
públicamente información generada en sus sistemas para añadir nuevos
niveles de transparencia y fomentar su responsabilidad democratizadora. El
acceso a la información no solamente fortalece la colaboración ciudadana,
sino que establece unos lazos de colaboración entre los distintos estratos del
gobierno que da más poder y mayor voz a los ciudadanos.

LABS

54

Transparency Driven App
Shows Citizens How Their
Taxes Are Being Spent
‘OpenSpending is a mobile and web-based application that allows
citizens in participating cities to examine where their taxes are being
spent through interactive visuals. Citizens can review their personal
share of public works, examine local impacts of public spending, rate
and vote on proposed plans for public spending and monitor the
progress of projects that are or are not underway. Tax contributions
can be broken down to the language of personal daily expenses and,
via the mobile app, project data can be reviewed onsite in real time.
By providing citizens an easy to understand overview of publicly
funded projects, and their personal funding share, local governments
are held more accountable to waste, duplication, inefficiency and
corruption.
openspending.org

LABS

56

Civic Platform Crowdsources
Government Accountability
Nulpunt is a mobile application that allows users to access, highlight,
and share every document in use by the Dutch government. Users
register on the site and decide what topics they’re interested in—
from the war in Iraq to healthcare—and then receive an inbox of
documents related to these areas. Citizens can utilize the platform for
highlighting specific paragraphs and calling out details in documents,
and distributing their findings through third-party applications like
Facebook or Twitter.
nulpunt.nu

LABS

57

INTELLIGENT
TRANSPORTATION
The continuous flow of information being gathered by a network
of sensors coupled with seamless communication platforms and
sophisticated, autonomous systems is streamlining the movement
of people and things across cities. This data is being leveraged
to solve any number of transportation challenges from real-time
traffic management to the creation of less dangerous roadways for
pedestrians and bicyclists. By automating certain processes and
alerting drivers with real-time information, these technologies not
only ensure a safer, more efficient commute, but remove a principal
source of stress from daily urban life, helping to improve health and
overall well-being.

TRANSPORTE INTELIGENTE
Tecnología Barato, fiable sensor se integra en entornos urbanos, tales como
edificios, puentes y carreteras, que generan cantidades masivas de datos. Este
acceso a la información en tiempo real permite a las agencias municipales,
las comunidades y las personas a recibir información en tiempo real y tomar
decisiones más rápidas y más informadas. Funcionando como un sistema
nervioso central para el entorno construido, estos sistemas inteligentes de
conectar el mundo real con el virtual, y utilizar el conocimiento recogido de
datos para optimizar y automatizar todo tipo de procesos de gestión de las
condiciones del tráfico en el flujo de los recursos.
LABS

59

Stoplight Senses Traffic
Patterns To Reduce
Congestion
Technology company Virtual Traffic Lights has patented an algorithm
designed to ease traffic by intelligently dictating the flow of cars
passing through a four-way intersection. When cars approach the
intersection, dedicated short-range communication equipment relays
back information about how many cars are approaching and which
direction they are headed. The largest group of vehicles is prioritized,
and once the group has passed through the intersection, the next
largest group will be given the green light to proceed. Simulations
over the past three years have shown the system could reduce
commute time for urban workers between 40 to 60 percent during
rush hour.
www.virtualtrafficlights.com

LABS

60

Autonomous Vehicles Legal
In California And Nevada
Florida, Nevada and California have passed respective laws allowing
Google’s self-driving cars on the roads with a human passenger along
as a safety measure. The cars use a combination of technologies,
including radar sensors on the front, video cameras aimed at the
surrounding area, various other sensors and artificial-intelligence
software that helps steer. Google is the most visible company working
on these types of vehicles, but similar projects are underway at other
organizations, including Caltech. Google has already been testing the
cars on the road in Nevada, which passed a law last year authorizing
driverless vehicles. Both Nevada and California require the cars to
have a human behind the wheel who can take control of the vehicle
at any time.
vrge.co/ThF6sh

LABS

62

CITIZEN SOURCED
Harnessing the power of citizens to raise the collective resources
and benefits available across communities, neighborhoods and
entire cities.

TRENDS
1. Crowd Planned

PARTICIPACIÒN CIUDANA
Aprovechar el poder de los ciudadanos para aumentar
los recursos colectivos y los beneficios disponibles a
través de las comunidades, barrios y ciudades enteras.

4. Social Pairing

TENDENCIAS

5. Micro Financing

1. Planeación Por Parte de los
Ciudadanos

4. Emparejamiento Social

2. Monedas Alternas

6. Transporte Compartido

6. Shared Transport

5. Micro-Financiación

3. Economía de Colaboración
LABS

64

CROWD PLANNED
Participatory online platforms and visual tools are lowering the
barriers to participation and empowering citizens to design their
communities. These systems facilitate an open dialogue between
city agencies and the people they serve, establishing a structured
process for collaboration and encouraging a higher level of
participation.
By
seeking
input
throughout
the
development
process, these systems help ensure greater transparency and
buy-in that ultimately results in an end solution that meets the
actual needs of the population.

PLANEACIÓN POR PARTE
DE LOS CIUDADANOS
Las agencias municipales, están aprovechando la sabiduría y la creatividad
de los residentes del crowdsourcing, con nuevas ideas sobre la manera de
mejorar sus vecindarios y comunidades. Nuevas herramientas en línea y
plataformas permiten la conversación de dos vías para fomentar una mayor
colaboración, conseguir la aceptación de todas las partes y garantizar
que la solución ﬁnal responda a las necesidades reales de la población. La
promesa de un punto de vista compartido puede empoderar a las personas
a participar, estimular la innovación y ayudar a ver más ideas a través de la
acción. Esto no sólo puede conducir a nuevas formas de pensar acerca de
la superación de retos, sino que también permite a las ciudades aprovechar
estos conocimientos y entregar mejores resultados a sus ciudadanos.

LABS

65

Social Network Asks
Citizens To Help Develop
Their Communities
San Francisco-based Neighborland aims to bring people of the
same community together to develop projects that will improve
their neighborhood. The website allows people to share their ideas
for improvement and gather support from people in the community.
Once an idea gets enough support, and community members decide
it is achievable, they can work together on the site to accomplish
the idea.
www.neighborland.com

LABS

66

UN-Backed Planning Game
Enlists Citizens To Design
Their Communities
Block by Block is an urban planning game allowing people to
participate in the reconstruction process of their own neighborhoods
through playing Minecraft. Working in partnership with UN Habitat,
the gaming company behind Mojang invites citizens to enter
Minecraft servers and modify their own neighborhood and visualize
it on screen. The game allows citizens to submit their own urban
planning ideas without necessarily having architectural training, and
can provide the groundwork for political decisions. The first Block by
Block site, in Nairobi, Kenya, is already in the planning phase.
www.mojang.com

LABS

68

COMMUNITY
CURRENCY
A number of businesses and municipalities are experimenting
with alternative forms of currency to encourage local spending.
Whether creating a local currency that encourages spending at
area businesses or accepting less tangible payments such as good
deeds as viable tender, these emerging payment systems hope to
raise the collective prosperity of a population by placing greater
importance on personal relationships, rather than material assets.

MONEDAS ALTERNAS
En un esfuerzo por redeﬁnir cómo el valor y la riqueza se mide en una
comunidad, una serie de empresas y municipios están experimentando
con formas alternativas de moneda y el intercambio. Si la creación de una
moneda local para alentar el gasto en áreas de negocios o aceptar pagos con
menos tangibles, como las buenas acciones como moneda de curso viable,
estos sistemas emergentes esperan recaudar la prosperidad colectiva de una
población mediante la colocación de mayor importancia en las relaciones
personales más que bienes materiales.

LABS

70

Waste-By-The-Pound
Exchanged For Veggie Credits
Municipal organizations in both the cities of Jundiaí, Brasil and Mexico
City, Mexico offer citizens fresh produce in exchange for recyclables.
In Jundiaí, the city’s utilities department runs a program called
Delícia de Reciclagem, where aluminum cans and plastic bottles are
the only currency accepted in a publicly run vegetable garden. In
Mexico City’s Mercado de Trueque, citizens swap out glass, plastic,
aluminum, paper and cardboard waste for credits, which in turn can
be exchanged for fresh produce and seedlings from local farmers. By
exchanging trash for fresh foods, both programs forge strong links
between recycling habits, sustainable food supply and healthy eating.
www. mercadodetrueque.org

LABS

72

Social Network Uses
Kindness As Currency
Impossible is a ‘social network’ built around the concept of people
doing simple favors for one another. The site lets participants select
from a series of small tasks that they need done or would like to
do for others. These tasks range from ‘I wish to find someone who
needs help looking after an animal’ to ‘I wish to help someone learn a
language’ and other simple acts in fitness, business, and home care.
Impossible is a social giving network based on cooperation, offering
opportunities to help everyone help each other.
www.impossible.com

LABS

73

COLLABORATIVE
ECONOMY
New person-to-person commerce systems are enabling citizens to
harness the potential of underused resources such as excess space
and Wi-Fi bandwidth, transforming them into valuable services that
can be traded with both neighbors and visitors. These platforms
help generate extra wealth for enterprising individuals and reduce
waste, while providing crucial and affordable infrastructure to
underserved communities.

ECONOMÍA DE
COLABORACIÓN
Existen nuevos sistemas de ‘persona a persona’, estos son sistemas de
comercio que están permitiendo a los ciudadanos a aprovechar el potencial
de los recursos infrautilizados, como el exceso de espacio y ancho de banda
Wi-Fi, transformándolas en servicios valiosos que pueden ser objeto de
comercio con ambos países vecinos y visitantes. Estas plataformas ayudan
a generar riqueza adicional para las personas emprendedoras y reducir
los residuos, al tiempo que proporciona la infraestructura fundamental y
asequible a las comunidades marginadas.

LABS

75

Platform Allows Users To
Rent Out Their Internet
Connection When Not In Use
New York-based KeyWifi allows anybody who pays for Internet
access to rent out their connection to those who need it for a nominal
fee. The peer-to-peer platform is a web-based solution meaning that
users don’t need any additional software or hardware to get online.
By simply logging into the KeyWifi website, users with a connection
can specify when exactly they aren’t using their Wi-Fi, how many
people can log onto it and for how long. Users without connections
can join the temporarily vacated network for about $10 a month using
web payment platform PayPal. KeyWifi takes about a third of that
money for operating costs, but the other two-thirds will be divided
proportionally among the owners of the various Internet connections.
www.keywifi.com

LABS

76

App Helps Drivers Locate
And Rent Parking From
Others While On The Go
Parking Panda is a community driven marketplace that connect
drivers to available parking spaces while they are en route to their
destination. Leveraging the GPS functionality of the app, users can
view a list of parking spaces nearby that are available to rent. Anyone
with a parking spot can rent their space out on the platform, using
the app to upload a description and photo of the lot along with a
schedule of when it’s available. After drivers reserve a space, they can
simply enter a description of their car so there doesn’t have to be any
interaction between them and the owner of the space. All payments
are taken care of through the app or by credit card.
www.parkingpanda.com

LABS

77

SOCIAL
PAIRING
New services are using a mix of social, location and demographic
data to match people around similar interests, activities, and needs,
allowing for the creation of temporary connections in a way and
at a speed that was previously not possible. These systems foster
a feeling of community based-on activities and geography and
create opportunities for people to work together toward common
business, social or civic-minded goals.

EMPAREJAMIENTO SOCIAL
Nuevos servicios usan un conjunto de datos sociales, geográﬁcos y
demográﬁcos para aglomerar a las personas según sus intereses, actividades
y necesidades, ayudando a la creación de conexiones temporales de una
manera, y a una velocidad, que previamente no eran posibles. Estos sistemas
ayudan a crear una sensación de comunidad entre

personas que tienen

intereses y goles comunes tanto a nivel empresarial, social como cívico.

LABS

80

Startup Matches Designers
With People To Help Solve
Everyday Problems
Fixperts is a online service platform that connects designers with
people who need help solving everyday problems. The idea behind
the project is to match designers who have practical know-how
with disabled people and the elderly who need assistance with
specific challenges. Designers pay house visits with the intention of
developing a solution to the problem in no more than three weeks.
Design solutions so far have included a device to help an MS sufferer
put in her earrings and fixing the broken joystick on an electric
wheelchair. The process is filmed and uploaded to their website
so the lessons learned can be transferred to the wider community.
Fixperts positions itself as part of a wider return to fixing or ‘hacking’
products, rather than replacing them.
www.fixperts.org

LABS

81

Matchmaking Site Pairs
Abandoned Properties
With Ideas For Revival
[Im]possible Living is a crowd-assisted map site that identifies vacant
properties anywhere in the world with the intention of matchmaking
abandoned spaces and people with ideas to revive those spaces. Via
the website or mobile app, users can add abandoned buildings to the
listings and explore the catalogue, researching by building location,
description, size, history, present condition and future ideas. More
than 500 abandoned buildings are currently mapped, inspiring users
to rethink the abandoned world and give new life to idle resources.
www.impossibleliving.com

LABS

82

MICROFINANCING
A number of social platforms are creating new avenues for people
who are seeking funding for their business or creative endeavors.
These peer-to-peer models allow a community of like-minded
individuals to contribute small amounts of money to the ideas
and projects they’d like to see succeed. The platforms serve as
viable alternatives to traditional financial institutions, encouraging
experimentation by lowering the barriers to participation and
providing more opportunities for people to get their ventures off of
the ground and into their communities.

MICRO-FINANCIACIÓN
Un numero elevado de plataformas sociales están creando nuevas vías para
personas que quieren ﬁnanciar sus proyectos o empresas. Estos modelos
‘peer-to-peer’ permiten a la comunidad de personas, que piensan de manera
similar, contribuir económicamente, en pequeñas cantidades, a los proyectos
u ideas que les gustaría que tuvieran éxito. Estas plataformas sirven como
alternativas viables a las formas tradicionales de ﬁnanciación y promueven
la experimentación al rebajar las barreras de participación y proveer de mas
oportunidades a las personas para que puedan desarrollar sus iniciativas y
acercarlas a la comunidad.

LABS

85

Communal Projects Funded
For Civic Improvement
Patronhood is a hyperlocal crowdfunding platform allowing citizens
to initiate and source support for projects aimed at civic improvement
in their local community. Built on the notion of crowdfunding as a
democratizer, citizens with an idea for a park, playground, retail space,
or piece of public art, can submit their proposal to the Patronhood
platform and ask their neighbors and other ‘patrons’ for funding.
Though the platform is initially focused on spurring local projects,
the Patronhood team envisions the platform to be used to fund largescale initiatives as a tool for reconstruction after natural disasters or
wars, for instance. Patronhood is still in a private alpha and focused
on building out an audience in a few major cities, including San
Francisco, New York and Montreal.
blog.patronhood.com

LABS

86

Skyscraper Is Funded
By City Residents
BD Bacata is a crowdfunded skyscraper in Bogota, Colombia that has
been funded by its city’s citizens. Thousands of ordinary Colombian
citizens have invested their own money to be shareholders in what
will be the tallest building in Colombia. Citizens bought small shares
called FiDi’s, which entitle them to a portion of ownership and, also,
portions of profits. The project will be realized by 2014, and the
campaign has already raised over $145,000,000 through 3,000+
investors.
www.bdbacata.com

LABS

87

SHARED
TRANSPORT
Digital technologies are connecting travelers through their shared
needs, enabling drivers to coordinate carpooling efforts during
busy commuting times or individuals to rent their vehicles when not
in use. By distributing the costs associated with transportation or
ownership, these peer-to-peer exchanges not only save money, but
also improve the overall community by removing excess cars off the
road, limiting the amount of resources used, and connecting people
around shared experiences.

TRANSPORTE COMPARTIDO
Las tecnologías digitales están conectando a los viajeros en torno a las
necesidades comunes, permitiendo a los conductores poder coordinar
los esfuerzos para un uso compartido del coche durante los tiempos de
desplazamiento o bien permite a personas poder alquilar sus vehículos
cuando no estén en uso. Mediante la distribución de los costos asociados con
el transporte o la propiedad, estos intercambios ‘peer-to-peer’ ‘ de igual a
igual’ no sólo ahorrarán dinero, sino que también mejorarán la comunidad en
general, mediante la eliminación de exceso de vehículos fuera de la carretera,
lo que limita la cantidad de recursos utilizados, y se pues entonces, conectar
a las personas del mismo entorno a vivir experiencias compartidas.

LABS

90

P2P Ridesharing
Formalizes Carpooling
And Taxi Pooling Exchanges
Peer-to-peer rideshare provider MyRideBuddy in Singapore, matches
drivers with riders for carpooling and ride sharing in the city. To
coordinate a ride, participants register as a ‘car owner,’ ‘ride taker’ or
‘both’ via a computer or mobile website. Desired journey requirements
are matched, mobile numbers are exchanged to coordinate pick up,
riders are charged a ‘ride fee’ plus a small transaction fee, and ride
fees are passed on to car owners to offset transportation costs.
The program, which facilitates more than 1 million rides in more
than 500,000 vehicles every day, formalizes the informal exchange
of ‘getting a ride’, adding greater security, user agreements and
payment transaction benefits to the experience while reducing traffic
congestion, pollution and personal driving expenses.
www.myridebuddy.com

LABS

92

Social Bike Network Pairs
Riders With Owners For
Rentals
Spinlister is a matchmaking site started in New York and San Francisco
that has created a bike rental market out of idle bicycles owned by
individuals. Matching those that want to ride a bike with bike owners
not using their bikes, the social rental network matches desired bike
type, location, size and accessories - like helmet, lock, lights, etcetera—
with bike owners who have listed their rides for self-set hourly, weekly
and monthly rates. Liquid, in turns, insures participating bicycles,
facilitates the payment transactions and markets listed bikes.
www.spinlister.com

LABS

93

URBAN CANVAS
Artistic endeavors and considered redevelopments that
make the city landscape feel more vibrant and alluring,
while engaging citizens around shared experiences and
conversations.
TRENDS

TENDENCIAS

1. Derelict Revival

1. Abandonados Renacimiento


2. Reactivar la Infraestructura

3. Enhanced Facades

3. Renovación de Fachadas

4. Culture Hacking

4. Hackear la Cultura


5. Paisajes Que Narran

6. Architectural
Infographics

6. Infografía
Arquitectónica

LABS

LIENZO URBANO
Actividades artísticas y de reurbanización
considerando que conforman el paisaje de la
ciudad para que se sienta más vivo y vibrante
el entorno, mientrasque involucran a los
ciudadanos en torno a experiencias compartidas
y conversaciones.

95

DERELICT
REVIVAL
As cities struggle to find available land for new development
projects, there is a counter-movement taking place that seeks
to reinvigorate existing urban environments that have been
neglected. The reimagination and rehabilitation of these decaying
urban environments enhances existing structures and makes them
suitable for public use, while retaining the original character of the
past. These modern hybrids can serve as burgeoning civic centers,
bringing new opportunities for commerce and cultural exchange.

ABANDONADOS
RENACIMIENTO
Igual que existe la constante lucha de las ciudades para encontrar tierras
disponibles para nuevos proyectos de desarrollo, paralelamente hay un
contra-movimiento que tiene lugar, en la búsqueda de formas para revitalizar
los entornos urbanos que se enfrentan al desuso y deterioro. Esta reinvención
del paisaje construido, mejora las estructuras existentes y diseños con
avances creativos, haciéndolas adecuadas para el uso público, mientras que
conserva el carácter original del pasado. Estos híbridos modernos pueden
servir como un rebrote de centros cívicos, generando nuevas oportunidades
para el comercio y el intercambio cultural.

LABS

96

Elevated Green Space
Repurposes Rails Fallen
Into Disuse
The High Line is a New York City linear park built on a section of the
former elevated New York Central Railroad spur called the West Side
Line. The abandoned railway has been redesigned and planted as an
aerial greenway. In addition to providing additional green space to
residents and tourists alike, the recycling of railway into an urban park has
spurred real estate development in the neighborhoods which lie
along the line.
www.highline.org

LABS

97

Entrepreneurs Take Over
Vacant Storefronts To Spur
Retail Revival
Popuphood in Oakland, San Francisco was an urban initiative offering
free retail space in unused buildings to local entrepreneurs. Launched
by two local entrepreneurs to encourage urban renewal in Oakland
where retail is struggling, the project allows local artists, designers,
and retailers the opportunity to open their own stores in previously
vacant storefronts for six months, rent free. The project’s main focus
is to provide the local community with a vibrant shopping area, and
has led to five new retail shops, including a jeweller and art gallery.
www.popuphood.com

LABS

98

INFRASTRUCTURE
REBOOT
As consumer technologies grow more advanced and the needs
of a population evolve, much of a city’s existing infrastructure can
become outmoded and therefore go underutilized. As a way to
inject relevancy back into these older systems and environments,
artists and developers are creating intelligent solutions for bringing
them up-to-date, while keeping their original uses and designs
intact.

REACTIVAR LA
INFRAESTRUCTURA
Como consumidor se desea el avance de las tecnologías para cubrir
las necesidades de una población y así evolucionar, gran parte de la
infraestructura existente de una ciudad puede llegar a quedar obsoleta
y por lo tanto subutilizada. Una manera de inyectar la relevancia de nuevo
en estos sistemas más antiguos y sus entornos, es invitar a los artistas y
desarrolladores a crear soluciones inteligentes para criarlos hasta la fecha,
conservando sus usos y diseños originales intactos.

LABS

101

City Transforms Old
Payphone Booths Into
Free Wi-Fi Hotspots
As part of New York City’s Reinvent Payphones competition, New
York City officials are rolling out a program to provide free, unlimited
Wi-Fi to the public through public payphone kiosks. The city hopes to
spread the public Wi-Fi throughout the city using 12,000 payphones
in about 9,000 locations. The program is meant to provide greater
digital inclusion for New Yorkers, giving them access to free internet
24/7 with the estimated radius of each station to be about 100–200
feet. To access the Wi-Fi on a device, users select the ‘Free WiFi’ network. Then, after they’ve agreed to accept the terms and
conditions, they are taken to the NYCgo.com website, the city’s
tourism arm, and are free to navigate wherever they chose from there.
www.NYCgo.com

LABS

102

Reinvented Bus Stop Allows
Citizens To Post Virtual Notes
Eyestop is a bus stop that has been partially covered with touchsensitive e-ink and digital screens to deliver a wide range of
information. Developed by MIT’s SENSEable City Lab, the concept
provides bus passengers in Fukoka, Mexico City and Rome with a
range of interactive information. Passengers and passers-by will be
able to post ads and community announcements to a moderated
bulletin board on the bus stop. Ads can be displayed, and the solarpowered bus shelter also collects data about the local environment
for scientific use. The concept aims to enrich the city with state of
the art sensing technologies, interactive services, community information and entertainment.

bit.ly/VT9W8V

LABS

104

ENHANCED
FACADES
Artworks and other creative design solutions are being added to
building facades and other structures to enhance the overall beauty
of the urban environment. These efforts are inviting artists and even
brands to help contribute to the cityscape by helping refresh drab
exteriors, hide ongoing construction, and complement the existing
surroundings.

RENOVACIÓN DE FACHADAS
Obras y otras soluciones de diseño creativo que se añaden a las fachadas
de ediﬁcios y otras estructuras para realzar la belleza general del medio
ambiente urbano. Estos esfuerzos están invitando a artistas e incluso marcas
para ayudar a contribuir al paisaje urbano, ayudando a los exteriores de
actualización monótona, ocultar construcción en curso y complementar el
entorno existente.

LABS

106

Artist Creates Commercial
Signage To Improve
Neighborhood
Philadelphia-based artist Steve Powers has initiated a pro-bono
effort directed at helping resuscitate run-down commercial strips in
Philadelphia through improving the built environment. The project,
‘Icy Signs’ intends to help draw attention to small businesses in
Philadelphia’s
lower-income
neighborhoods
by
manufacturing
actual storefront signage for businesses along struggling retail strips
across the city. In tailoring the sign projects to reflect the character
of individual neighborhoods, the project aims at to draw in new
customers and generally improve the aesthetic environment of urban
shopping strips. ’Icy Signs’ also helped establish a ‘guild’ of artists
with a wide variety of aesthetic styles and talents, uniting them
around a common goal of improving the visual appeal of their cities.
www.icysigns.tumblr.com

LABS

107

Uninviting Spaces
Become Safer With
Rainbow Hued Lights
To transform a desolate pathway and motorway beneath a San
Antonio, Texas highway into a more pedestrian and motorist friendly
passageway, artist Bill Fitzgibbons has installed lighting that converts
the highway underpass columns into a rainbow display of illumination.
The LED lighting system flashes through a range of color spectrums
that, repeating in a 20 minute loop, are projected onto the highway’s
structural columns capped with aluminum. By layering bright lighting
and cheerful hues into an otherwise dubious space, safety and
comfort are improved attractively and playfully.
www.billfitzgibbons.com

LABS

108

CULTURE
HACKING
Communities are using various forms of street art as a way to make
statements about and bring attention to larger social, political and
economic issues. These playful and sometimes provocative displays
are designed to make people question the status quo, creating an
open discourse around important topics that often go overlooked
within the context of the city.

HACKEAR LA CULTURA
En un esfuerzo para criticar la cultura dominante, las comunidades están
utilizando diversas formas de arte callejero como una manera de hacer
declaraciones sobre y llamar la atención a los grandes problemas sociales,
políticos y económicos. Estas exhibiciones lúdicas y provocativo a veces
están diseñados para hacer que la gente a cuestionar el statu quo, la creación
de un diálogo abierto en torno a temas importantes que a menudo pasan por
alto en el contexto de la ciudad.

LABS

111

Seed Bombing Campaign
Raises Awareness Around
Food Sovereignty
Activists in Egypt engaged in a guerilla form of environmental
and political activism by engaging in a ‘seed bombing’ campaign
known as ‘Bozoor Baladi’ (Seeds of My Country). ‘Seed bombing’
is considered a political act in which small, tightly compacted balls
of clay, fertilizer and seeds are thrown into public spaces and parks
to create awareness about a particular agricultural cause, establish
dialogue, and reclaim and beautify public spaces in the process. In
Egypt, the particular cause was the advocacy of using local, organic
seeds rather than imported, genetically modified seeds, which are
both expensive and yield harmful and poor crops.
bit.ly/U2qqv1

LABS

112

Ugandan Artists Create A
Local Park Out Of Garbage
Artist and teacher Ruganzu Tusingwire has built an amusement park
using recycled materials including repurposed plastic bottles. In
designing the park he notes that this initiative was a conscious effort
to create a space for local children. The park is multi-faceted in that
it allows a safe area for children to play all the while encompassing
traits to psychologically and emotionally stimulate the children.
In addition, by using recycled material to create this playground,
Tusingwire is sparking creative ways for the children to actively
participate in environmental initiatives.
The project was awarded the
2012 TED Prize at the TEDxSummit in Doha, Qatar.
www.thecity2.org/stories/recycled-amusement

LABS

113

LANDSCAPE
NARRATIVES
Digital technology is enabling people to attach stories, information,
and thoughts to specific locations and moments in time. These
can be shared, followed, and interacted with by others through
their mobile devices, bringing more meaningful and engaging
experiences to our physical environments.

PAISAJES QUE NARRAN
La tecnología digital está permitiendo a la gente para unir historias,
información y pensamientos a lugares y momentos especíﬁcos en el tiempo.
Estos pueden ser compartidos, seguido e interactuaron con los demás a través
de sus dispositivos móviles, con lo que las experiencias más signiﬁcativas e
interesantes para nuestros ambientes físicos.

LABS

116

Map Lets Viewers
Explore The City
By Its Sounds
Listen Here is a concept map that invites users to place a stethoscopeshaped RFID reader over specific points on a map to listen in on
real-time streamed sounds. Microphones placed throughout the city
transmit noises that can be heard in nearby bars, eateries, streetscapes
and other locations identified on the map. Developed by Nicola
Hume, a product design graduate from the University of Dundee, the
map reveals both public and secret sounds that might inspire or deter
either locals and travellers to visit the featured locations.
www.nicolahume.co.uk/listen-here

LABS

117

Website Creates Digital Notes
For Others To Find Anywhere
In The World
Findery is an online platform that allows users to move throughout
their cities and ‘pin’ virtual notes on a map for others to interact with
and experience. Notes can be private or made available to the general
public, allowing citizens to discover stories, advice, and information
as they move throughout their environments. Information can be
organized into categories like, ‘Best Spots for Butterfly Hunting’ or
‘Find me a Nearby Toilet NOW’ allowing users to contribute to a
database being built up over time. In future versions, the app will
include an instant notification system that would push messages to
users as they travel throughout a city.
www.findery.com

LABS

118

ARCHITECTURAL
INFOGRAPHICS
As a way to connect citizens with their fellow residents, their
immediate surroundings and wider world events, designers and
architects are working together to transform buildings and other
structures into largescale information displays. These platforms
use lighting and other visual reporting to relay real-time data to
the population such as environmental conditions, social sentiments
and election results, bringing people together around a shared
experience.

INFOGRAFÍA
ARQUITECTÓNICA
Es una manera de conectar a los ciudadanos con sus compañeros residentes y
de su alrededor inmediato de los mayores eventos mundiales, los diseñadores
y los arquitectos están trabajando juntos para transformar los ediﬁcios y otras
estructuras en grandes pantallas de información de escala. Estas plataformas
utilizan iluminación y la información visual ofreciendo datos a tiempo real a
la población, tales como las condiciones ambientales, el sentimiento social,
y los resultados electorales, en deﬁnitiva, reunir a la gente en torno a una
experiencia compartida.

LABS

121

Iconic Landmark Projected
With Pie Chart Expressing
Public Sentiment
To report on the mood in Great Britain surrounding the 2012 Olympics,
the energy company EDF Energy partnered with branding agency
Ignite and MIT graduates to create a light installation on the London
Eye, the city’s iconic Ferris wheel on the banks of the River Thames,
that visualized the nation’s daily mood as Olympic activities ensued.
In a campaign called Energy of the Nations, people were invited to
tweet responses to the question, ‘How are you feeling today, Great
Britain?’ Taking an emotional read of the tweets, algorithms analyzed
collected adjectives, emoticons and punctuation to estimate the
share of daily energy which was positive or negative. Visualized
as a simple pie chart projected on the circular Ferris wheel form,
illuminated portions in yellow expressed positive energy while purple
expressed negative.
bit.ly/NUfGP0

LABS

123

Neighborhood Records
Its Electricity Use
On The Street
A group of residents in Brighton, United Kingdom recorded their
daily electricity use in 2011 on a giant infographic painted on the
street outside their homes. Each day the participants’ marked
their electricity usage over the previous 24 hours and each week,
participants added another comparison line to show how their
electricity consumption compares to another region in the UK or
even a different country. Working in collaboration with a local graffiti
artist, the concept produces an engaging artwork intended to spur
conversation around energy usage.
bit.ly/UVYCwp

LABS

124

GREEN SCAPING
Designs for urban environments that promote natural
landscapes and the sustainable use of resources.

TRENDS

TENDENCIAS


1. Aire Puro en Todas
Partes

3. Micro Parks

2. Sistemas de Reciclaje de
Recursossystems

PAISAJISMO
VERDE

4. Compact Farming

3. Micro-Parques

Los diseños de entornos urbanos que

4. Agricultura en
Espacios Pequeñosing

promueven los paisajes naturales y el
uso sostenible de los recursos.

Systems

LABS

126

CLEAN AIR
EVERYWHERE
A combination of advanced materials and living walls are
being
incorporated
into
buildings
and
other
structures
to
help
remove
harmful
pollutants
from
the
air.
In
addition
to
health
and
environmental
benefits,
these
material
choices
can
contribute
to
the
overall
aesthetics
of
the
surroundings,
creating
safer
and
more enjoyable places for people to work and live.

AIRE PURO EN
TODAS PARTES
Una combinación de materiales avan- zados y las paredes vivientes se están
incorporando en los ediﬁcios y otras estructuras para ayudar a eliminar
contaminantes peligrosos del aire. Además de los beneﬁcios para la salud
y el medio ambiente, estas opciones de materiales pueden contribuir a la
estética del entorno, creando espacios más seguros y más agradable para las
personas que trabajan y viven.

LABS

127

Five-Story Mural In Italy
Helps Clean City Air
A 59-foot mural located in Bologna, Italy was painted using
photocatalytic paint, which is capable of converting nitrogen
monoxide (smog) into clean air. Created by Italian artist Andreco, the
five-story piece of public art called Philosophical Tree, demonstrates
how artwork can increase quality of life by contributing to the
environment and improving urban spaces.
www.andreco.org

LABS

128

City Streets Eat Greenhouse
Gases And Unhealthy Air
Pollution
Located in the Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, USA, a twomile long roadway called the ‘Greenest Street In America’ has paved
the streets with photocatalytic cement that cleans the surface of the
street and removes asthma-aggravating and climate change inducing
nitrogen oxide from the surrounding air. The catalytic reaction driven
by UV light improves the urban ecosystem, supports community
health and mitigates global climate change. The physical design
of the roadway system additionally diverts stormwater to prevent
sewers from overflowing and hosts plants that add greenery to the
local streetscape.
bit.ly/SXLJCT

LABS

129

RECYCLED
RESOURCE
SYSTEMS
Engineers
and
architects
are
rethinking
the
current
design
of architectural and environmental infrastructure, in favor of
regenerative systems that are capable of harnessing wasted energy
and resources and redistributing them where needed. Whether
converting the kinetic energy from foot traffic into electricity or
recycling grey water for other residential uses, these closedloop designs help deliver greater efficiencies that lower resource
consumption and cut back on costs.

SISTEMAS DE RECICLAJE
DE RECURSOSSYSTEMS
En un esfuerzo por bajar el consumo de recursos y reducir costos, los
ingenieros están diseñando sistemas regenerativos que son capaces de
aprovechar la energía desperdiciada de una variedad de fuentes y redistribuir
donde sea necesario como una forma de poder suplementario. Ya sea que
la captura de la energía cinética de los residentes caminando por una acera
ocupada para operar farolas o redirigir el calor de transporte subterráneo
para calentar ediﬁcios de apartamentos, los diseños de circuito cerrado
ayudar a ofrecer una mayor eﬁciencia.
LABS

132

Leaf-like Pavilion Concept
Doubles As Rainwater
Harvesting Site
An award-winning architectural concept created for the city of
Cassablanca, Morocco, features a leaf-like pavilion that will store
and recycle rainwater for use in public toilets. Created by Tom David
Architecten, the design consists of enormous petal-shaped structures
that collect rainwater and channel it into underground tanks for future
use. In addition to providing, the structure will provide infrastructure
for markets operating in the neighboring streets.

LABS

133

Sewage Biogas To Power
Cloud Computing
Global Foundation Services, the cloud services division of the
computing brand Microsoft has backed the research and development
of a zero carbon data center that captures sewage treatment byproducts to power cloud services without drawing from the grid.
Adjacent to the Dry Creek Water Reclamation Facility in Cheyenne,
Wyoming, the data center pipes in biogas from the sewage plant to
power a generator which, in turn, powers data center activities. Once
refined, the technology could additionally power cloud services with
underutilized waste streams of agricultural activities, fuel refineries,
waste landfill sites and more.
www.globalfoundationservices.com

LABS

135

MICRO PARKS
In an effort to inject more greenery into the urban environment,
artists and planners are getting more creative with how they
use available space, trans-forming underutilized aspects of the
landscape into small parks and gardens. These reclaimed places not
only make the surroundings feel more vibrant through the use of
natural greenery, but also help people redefine public space within
cities, creating more opportunities for people to gather.

MICRO-PARQUES
En un esfuerzo por inyectar más zonas verdes en el entorno urbano, los artistas
y los planiﬁcadores son cada vez más creativos con la forma en que utilizan
el espacio disponible, la transformación de los aspectos infrautilizados del
paisaje en pequeños parques y jardines. Estos lugares recuperados no sólo
hacen que el entorno se sienta más vibrante a través de la belleza natural,
sino también ayudar a la gente redeﬁnir el espacio público en las ciudades,
creando más oportunidades para que las personas se reúnen y congregan.

LABS

137

Project Aims To Replace
Billboards With Wi-Fi-Enabled
Bamboo Gardens
Urban Air is a project created by Los Angeles-based artist Stephen
Glassman that aims to turn existing billboards into urban gardens
filled with bamboo. The suspended gardens will feature Wi-Fienabled sensors, transforming them into global nodes capable
of monitoring the climate. Working with a team of environmental
engineers,
planners,
technologists,
billboard
fabricators,
bamboo
growers, and plumbers, Urban Air is developing a DIY kit that could
change any billboard into a garden oasis no matter the city, further
spreading the idea of urban sustainability.
kck.st/PPuDpQ

LABS

138

Edible Bus Stops Sprout
Food For Commuters
The Edible Bus Stop transforms neglected sites across London’s bus
network into valuable community growing spaces.
Beginning as ‘a
guerrilla garden project’ alongside a South London bus stop, a small
strip of land was used by locals to start growing food and relies on
volunteers to plant and care for the gardens. The group works closely
with communities to provide them with the necessary framework to
repurpose neglected public spaces in a productive fashion.
www.theediblebusstop.org

LABS

139

COMPACT
FARMING
In an effort to bring city centers closer to their food sources,
developers and architects are experimenting with various methods
for constructing farms and gardens that maximize yield within a
limited amount of space. Whether incorporating their designs into
existing structures or reducing physical footprints by building
vertically, these compact solutions are making urban agriculture a
viable model for supplementing the current food system.

AGRICULTURA EN ESPACIOS
PEQUEÑOSING
En un esfuerzo por llevar los centros urbanos más cerca de sus fuentes
de alimento, los desarrolladores y arquitectos están experimentando con
diversos métodos para la construcción de parques y jardines que maximizan
el rendimiento dentro de una cantidad limitada de espacio. Tanto la
incorporación de sus diseños en las estructuras existentes o la reducción de
las huellas físicas de la construcción en vertical, estas soluciones compactas
están haciendo de la agricultura urbana un modelo viable para complementar
el sistema alimentario actual.

LABS

142

Vertical Farm Opens For
Commercial Use In The Busy
Streets Of Singapore
With the aim of decreasing dependence on food imports, Singapore
implemented the world’s first commercial-scale vertical farm. The
vertical farm, which has been developed by Sky Green Farms, consists
of 120 aluminum towers, each extending up almost 30 feet in height.
It can produce over 1,000 pounds of vegetables per day, all of which
are sold in the local FairPrice Finest supermarkets. Although the cost
of the vegetables is more compared to other produce, the farm has
had success selling its product to local consumers. Until now, the
country imported 93% of its vegetables, and the farm is estimated
to more than double in size and output by the end of 2013.
skygreens.appsfly.com/Events

LABS

143

Urban Vegetable Growing
Microfactories Save Water,
Fit Into Parking Spaces
Developed by Japan’s Daiwa House Industry, Agri-Cube is a selfcontained vegetable growing system that integrates farming activities
into urban areas. Suitable for congested street spaces which may not
receive ample year round sunlight, Agri-Cube grows leafy greens
and shallow-rooted root vegetables, like turnips and radishes, with
adjustable fluorescent lighting. An in-unit water recycling system
reduces water management needs for agricultural purposes and
prevents agricultural water shares from being diverted into urban
centers. Growing as many as 10,000 heads of lettuce per year at
lower than market price costs, food can be grown near homes and
restaurants within a physical footprint as small as a parking space.
www.daiwahouse.co.jp

LABS

144

THE FUTURE OF CITIES

MAXIMIZED SPACE

SENSIBLE CITY

CITIZEN SOURCED

URBAN CANVAS

1. Pop-Up Culture


13. Crowd Planned







3. Snap-On Housing




Systems

4. Micro Living


16. Social Pairing

22. Culture Hacking



17. Micro Financing






LABS

GREEN SCAPING

27. Micro Parks
28. Compact Farming

147

ABOUT
PSFK is the go-to source for new ideas and
inspiration. Millions of creative influencers and
business leaders visit PSFK.com every month
to read about the emerging ideas, provocative perspectives, and exhilarating innovations
identified by our editorial team. Through our
website, event series, and creative consultancy,
PSFK Labs, we provide readers, attendees, and
clients with rich content and deep insights that
encourage new ways of thinking, spark vibrant
conversations, and inspire thrilling visions for
the future.
PSFK Labs creates thought leading content
that provides its clients and their audiences
with ideas and inspiration. Our trends research
helps companies evolve their products, services and communications to meet the changing
behaviors and expectations of their customers,
partners and society. Our unique methodology
to describe the future has been employed by
a client list that includes American Express,
BMW, Microsoft, Target and Pepsi.

PSFK Labs

Piers Fawkes

Scott Lachut

42 Bond Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10012 USA
labs.psfk.com

CEO & Founder

Director, Consulting

piers.fawkes@psfk.com

scott.lachut@psfk.com

+1 646.520.4672

+1 646.520.4672

Version 1.0

The future of cities

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (20)

En vedette

En vedette (9)

Similaire à The future of cities

Similaire à The future of cities (20)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

The future of cities