Google sister company Sidewalk Labs has created a system of urban signage that reveals the technologies it is using to track people in public spaces.
The signs are intended to be a visual representation of the privacy policies the company is developing to go along with its data collection technology.
While the project goes some way to address privacy concerns around data collection, there’s still no way for people to opt out of being tracked in public.
The signage is being trialled in Toronto, Canada, but could be taken up in other cities. To find out more about the signage design, purpose and placement, see the article by Fast Company.
The redesign of the upper levels of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, after the destruction of a major fire in April, is attracting controversial proposals – such as a swimming pool, observation deck and sculpture of golden flames.
French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, announcing an international design competition for the roofline, questioned if it was time to modernise any new additions to the UNESCO world heritage landmark.
“This is obviously a huge challenge, a historic responsibility,” he said, adding that the new design should be “adapted to technologies and challenges of our times.”
Contemporary visions include a roof made of recycled plastic from the oceans (Studio Drift), a roofline and spire of stained glass (Alexandre Fantozz, AJ6 Studio), a rooftop olive garden (Arcas Architects).
Perhaps the most tongue-in-cheek, a multi-storey carpark by Yung Yonge, and Notre-McDame with golden arches and red roof by an anonymous Reddit photoshopper.
The Street Furniture Australia factory, in Regents Park, Western Sydney, is both a manufacturing hub and R&D studio for our Australian-designed and made street furniture products. We run fun and informative group events for customers throughout the year, to share how products are designed, tested and built, and the latest products and projects. Director of Tract Julie Lee said: “It was a great opportunity for our team to look behind the scenes and understand the innovation, research and climate positive outcomes Street Furniture Australia is focusing on. Thank you for having us!” Place Design Group Associate, Liam Isaksen, said: “The factory tour is a fun experience to learn about the design and manufacturing process of public furniture we use in landscape architecture design. Seeing the work behind the scenes and …
Did you catch these most-read case studies, furnishing tips, new product announcements and special industry events in your StreetChat updates in 2023? Each month our StreetChat enewsletter publishes new projects, products and trends from the public domain; subscribe to receive it in your inbox. 10. Which design firm can see Longhorn Cattle from their office window? 2 countries. 9 cities. 300 landscape architects. Street Furniture Australia and USA partner Spruce & Gander visited offices in Australia and Texas. There were key similarities and some notable standouts. 9. Jazz at The Mint: Product and Book Launch Sydney landscape architects gathered at the iconic Mint Courtyard to launch a design book by our founding directors Darrel Conybeare and Bill Morrison, and expansions to the Linea collection. 8. 2023 Good Cause Giveaway goes to …
Street Furniture Australia has designed and built prototype charging stands as part of a Transport for NSW program to deliver free phone chargers at 15 Sydney train stations. Developed by Street Furniture Australia’s inhouse industrial designers in collaboration with Transport for NSW, the prototypes offer wireless, USB-A and USB-C charging, and can power 7 devices at once. They were built at the Street Furniture Australia factory in Western Sydney. Two Power Spots are now installed at Liverpool and Campbelltown stations. The $1 million Power Spots Project rollout to 15 transport hubs including Bankstown, Hurstville, Lidcombe, Penrith, Wynyard, Central, Town Hall and Bondi Junction will be completed by late 2024. NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the Power Spots provide peace of mind: “In the modern world, our phones are our …
Risky playgrounds could be better for kids: Studies show that kids develop greater risk detection, creativity, and self-esteem through riskier playgrounds, says Vox in an episode of By Design. Studies have found that risky outdoor play is a key part of children’s health, promoting social interactions, creativity, problem-solving, and resilience. Some communities are even experimenting with “adventure playgrounds,” a format with origins in World War II Denmark, where bomb sites became impromptu playgrounds. Filled with props like nails, hammers, saws, paint, tires, and wood planks, these spaces look more like junkyards than play spaces – and parents are often kept outside the playground while children are chaperoned by staff. Now, that question of keeping children safe versus keeping children engaged is at the heart of a big debate in playground …
Wanted, A New Public Space for Melbourne: The Future Park International Design Competition invites entrants to propose a new signature space for the city’s centre. The contest is organised by AILA and the University of Melbourne, with up to $20,000 in prize money to be allocated. Participants are challenged to think about how parks shape Melbourne’s urban form, and uncover new possibilities. Restricted to a 10km radius from Melbourne’s city centre, designers are asked to present a rationale for the location of the proposed space and consider how their design responds to challenges facing the city in the 21st century, including climate change, growing population, biodiversity and community. University of Melbourne senior lecturer in Landscape Architecture Jillian Walliss says the competition aims to enhance the role of landscape architecture in …
5 Inspiring Stories of Great Public Places: The Project for Public Spaces has added five more entries to its international Great Public Spaces database. In Moscow, 18 lanes of the capital’s ring road have been reduced to no more than 10 at any point to create the Garden Ring, with 13 new public spaces, 20 crosswalks, generous promenades and 2880 new trees. In Vancouver, Alley Oop (pictured above) transforms an underused laneway into a place for play, with areas marked for basketball and hopscotch, seating and tables for comfort and a dedicated clean team. Strangers are seen playing together. In Bristol, Electric Moon is an artwork and low-cost lighting installation designed to help pedestrians and cyclists see each other at a trouble spot on a dark shared path. Historic Burns Court welcomes visitors …
