the future of public
space or public space
of the future?
RASHIQ FATAAR

there is in fact an abundance of
public assets and public space but
it depends on who owns, controls
and lobbies for this and how we
define inclusivity…what’s the point
if there is no place to sit?

in the age of global terror, the very
right to public life and space is
being threatened. successful
vibrant spaces can become targets
for terror? at which level should we
or can we engage with national
security?

what we should be working and
engaging with is the public realm or
a public system, a more broader
term, which helps us think in
systems and can inspire work
beyond silos

how do we know if we have made a
real difference and to what extent
can we measure, and even more
importantly communcate
change…is there a quality we
cannot measure or track?

while major strides have been made
to embrace the digital, is the true
potential of our public realm not in
being social or non-digital?

we should do more than focus on
the production of external spaces
and places that we declare public,
and protect and enhance the indoor
public space too?

2026 : Will you finally activate those
robotic employees that you bought
in 2024 / How about upgrading the
3D material and furniture printers?

2028 : With green car technology sorted,
it's no longer necessary to get vehicles
off the road. Travellers are now renting
self-driving, customized cars. Contrary
to popular belief, people are actually not
spending their commute catching up on
work but lying on their backs and
looking at the clouds.

2030 /
Nanobots that we use to augment our
natural intelligence can now be ingested
and they will find their way into our
brains and upload the information. At
conferences delegates simply swallow
the 'Notes' and go home.