Place_Report_2015

2015
2015
The Place
Report
Top ten global trends
redefining how we shop,
live, work and play

2 the place report 2015 | place associates
Place Associates is a property
consultancy which researches
and creates strategies that
position, market and
activate places.
Market Strategy
Positioning your place in the
market through a distinct and
valued proposition, which
will support a long-term
competitive advantage.
User Research
Understanding the behaviours
and aspirations of your
customers, visitors or residents
to better respond to their
needs, thereby increasing
conversion, spend and the
ability to charge a premium.
Customer Experience
Providing an experience that
aligns the market perception
with the actual delivery,
leading to increased rates of
satisfaction, dwell times and
repeat visitation.
Note
Dynamic links have been placed
throughout this document to help you
navigate to the relevant sections. The
top right of each page returns you
to the section headings. Alternatively
you can navigate the trends using the
numbers on the right. Or you can read
from start to finish, just like a book.
Enjoy the read.
Design and Activation
Staging the types of on-site
interactions with customers,
visitors and residents that
support the social vitality,
which in turn ensure the
long-term financial viability
of your place.
This approach in managing and developing places increases customer visitation, spend and
loyalty. Working with the owners, operators and occupants of places, we provide the insight
through research which ensures that places develop a competitive advantage, allowing
them to command a price premium and achieve financial returns above the market.
Place Associates offers a range of services covering four broad capabilities: user research,
market strategy, customer experience and design activation. We provide custom strategy
solutions as well as standard research and strategic tools.

3 the place report 2015 | place associates
About this Publication
We have gathered the most progressive property examples from the past 12 months
and used them to determine the most influential trends defining how we are changing
the way we live, work, eat, shop, stay and play.
Please share this document with your colleagues – all information contained within is
published under a Creative Commons licence. Refer to the Acknowledgements page
for more details.
This report was compiled from November 2014 to March 2015 and all information is
accurate at the time of publication. Every effort has been made to identify individual
copyright holders of all imagery used in this publication. However, should any
copyright holder not be acknowledged, please notify us and we will include the
details in future issues.
We Create Places
The Place Trends Report is published
annually in the first quarter. More
information on each of the case studies
can be found on our trends website:
wecreateplaces.com
In-house Presentations
of the 2015 Report
If you do not have time to read this
report, or want to find out more about
a specific trend, we can present the
2015 report in person to your project
team, department or organisation.
Custom Trend Reports and
Presentations
If you are interested in a particular
trend, area or location, we offer custom
reports or presentations which respond
to your exact needs. As a cost-effective
alternative to study tours, this provides all
the same information in significantly less
time. Please get in touch to brief us with
your requirements:
Project Trend
Workshops
If you have a specific project which
you would like us to address, we offer
project trend workshops. These three-
hour sessions are held with the project
team and equip everyone with the
knowledge to respond to your unique set
of challenges. Please get in touch to brief
us with your requirements:

Contents
4 the place report 2015 | Contents
Symbiotic Partnerships
Engaging in symbiotic
partnerships to deliver
innovative solutions which
respond to an increasingly
complex world
Micro-Living
Supplying an affordable
yet distinctive micro-living
product, which trades private
space for public amenities
and infrastructure
Creative Capital
Forming partnerships with
dynamic creative entities to
rapidly increase the market
value of under-utilised assets
Conscious Environments
Developing environments
that respond to the emotional
wellbeing of occupants
and derive long-term
financial gains
Connective Public Art
Using public art to connect
people to our urban
environment and broader
context, creating market
loyalty and advocacy
Digital Retail 2.0
Combining the positive
attributes of physical and
digital retailing to create a
superior hybrid which offers
personalised experiences
Airport Attractors
Introducing the next
generation of airports –
centred on offer over function,
and where locals and travellers
choose to coexist
Smart Cities
Harnessing urban data to
provide commercial solutions,
which respond to changes
across a city or precinct in
real time
Transformative Education
Changing how and where
knowledge is exchanged,
leading to educational
interactions in
unexpected places
Curated Destinations
Adopting a tailored curatorial
approach to the management
of niche destinations
to attract an experience-
seeking audience

The place report 2015 | Trend title5 the place report 2015 | Creative Capital5
04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Artists and creatives
have often been cited as
the catalysts for urban
gentrification. With
the rise of the digital
economy, small creative
businesses have gained
in strength, volume and
viability.
01
Creative Capital

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
1 Risk Sharing
Trend 4
Place Report 2014
2 The Place Report 2014
Rote Fabrik
(Red Fabric)
Zurich,
Switzerland
These businesses are now a vibrant
segment of the developed economy and
non-traditional assets are being created for
this sector to suit their spatial needs, their
networking needs and also to build
a community of users.
Some of the emerging
funding and ongoing
financial models are
fairly experiential and
generally embody the
philosophy of Trend 4
Risk-Sharing¹
from The
Place Report 20142
.
Typically, the deliberate leveraging of
creative capital occurs in two ways: the
repurposing of unusual or underutilised
assets by creative groups or individuals who
identify and harness the site’s potential or
the partnership of developers and creative
organisations to create purpose-built
innovation and design precincts. Related to
this trend is a greater awareness by councils
or developers of the opportunity creative
destinations present in attracting tourism,
trade, higher footprints and opportunities
for engagement.
Rote Fabrik (Red Fabric)
— Zurich, Switzerland
As featured in The Place Report 2014, Rote
Fabrik (Red Fabric) in Zurich, demonstrates
the longstanding value of the creative class
in revitalising economically depressed areas
over more than three decades. Located in
an abandoned silk factory in Zurich, Rote
Fabrik provides about 80 long-term studios
for musicians, actors, media, designers
and artists.

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Our Kaka'ako
— Honolulu, Hawaii
Another early example of an organically
formed precinct, which started to bring the
value of the creative class to consciousness,
is found in the Hawaiian city of Honolulu.
Occupying nine city blocks and centrally
located minutes from downtown Honolulu,
developer and creative authority, Our
Kaka’ako is building a community from the
ground up based on a foundation of art and
culture.
Out Kaka’ako, on the surface at least, is a
haphazard conglomerate of shabby shoe
repair stores and old scrap metal yards
– certainly far from the picture of Hawaii
sold in glossy travel brochures. Rooted in
Hawaiian cultural values, Our Kaka'ako is
based on values of supporting creativity,
cultivating innovation and building a truly
unique, local community. Importantly, the
developer views the tenants as makers,
individuals and organisations who have
the passion to build a strong sense of
community.
TAXI
— Denver, US
Executing this trend to great effect is
Denver-based (US) developer Zeppelin1
.
Its TAXI development (formerly a Yellow
1 Zeppelin
Development
Our Kaka’ako
Honolulu, Hawaii
TAXI
Denver, us
Cab dispatch centre) is located in RiNo
(River North Art District), and houses a
number of full-time residents and more
than 80 creative businesses. According
to the development website, TAXI was
conceived by Mickey Zeppelin and his son
Kyle, who identified a need for a community
that fostered the use of creative spaces
for the new workforce. The precinct,
which continues to expand, is made up
of six buildings and amenities, including
a fitness centre, cafe, coffee shop, salon,
early childhood education centre, outdoor
cinema, one-of-a-kind pool and communal
garden, all of which are designed to keep
the community connected.

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
While the above examples typify a more
relaxed approach to leveraging creative
capital, in recent years there has been
a shift towards creatively led or at least
creatively partnered development.
At the low-investment end of the scale
are numerous examples of repurposed or
underutilised sites.
1 Tournament
carpark company
2 Nat Cheshire
Architect
The Sheds
(City Works Depot)
Auckland,
new Zealand
The Sheds (City Works Depot)
— Auckland, New Zealand
In Auckland, The Sheds (or, formally, the
City Works Depot) has benefited from the
fresh insight of Simon Rowntree and James
Brown, owners of one of the city’s biggest
car parking companies, Tournament1
.
They saw an opportunity when they initially
leased the site in 2000 – subsequently
purchased in 2012 – and were quick to
bring in Nat Cheshire2
, local architect and
creative curator of the site.
They all identified the opportunity – three
hectares on the city fringe – as a place
to lead the city’s creative resurgence.
By day, the site hums with the activity
of small to medium creative and design
businesses. When night falls the city’s
inhabitants flock to the site to enjoy the
range of one-off hospitality providers.
Importantly, the owners never wanted to
remove any of the existing architectural
heritage which provides for outstanding
natural light, coupled with spaces of scale
and flexibility. Some of the old fittings,
such as control panels and mechanical
devices, have been retained to
acknowledge the past use as the
city’s largest industrial workshop.

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
The Old Biscuit Mill
— Cape Town, South Africa
Another example of industrial repurposing
is found in Cape Town. The name by which
it is affectionately known - The Old Biscuit
Mill - points to its previous use as a milling
and baking house. For locals, the Mill is
an evolving attractor and unifier for the
surrounding community. The Mill is home
to day and night markets, locally grown
farm stalls and owner-operator restaurants
as well as a distinctive line-up of festivals
and productions.
Internally, for those people based on site,
the Mill offers a series of dynamic work
spaces attached to a range of workshops
and designer stores in which occupants
can sell their wares.
In terms of the management structure, the
precinct is curated by the resident creative
talent, which has ensured its success with
on-site tenants including some of South
Africa’s most innovative designers, artists
and photographers.
As these types of sites have become
more prevalent, developers and owners
are becoming more discerning in the
finish and presentation of creative hubs.
The Old Biscuit Mill
cape town,
south africa

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Tea Building
London, UK
Tea Building
— London , UK
A further noteworthy example is found in
the Tea Building in London, developed by
Derwent London and completed in late
2012. Rather than just applying a veneer
of creativity to attract the right tenants, the
group is genuinely committed to putting
their values into practice. As their corporate
website states: ‘Our design teams often
include contemporary artists who help to
make each project unique’.
The iconic building was once occupied by
the Lipton Tea factory. In its original form,
the building was a block of early twentieth-
century warehouses which have been cost-
effectively refurbished to create polished,
open spaces, allowing companies to make
their own mark on each unit.
Recent additions include a private members’
club and a boutique hotel.

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Similar to the Tea Building example are
two more commercially minded large-scale
developments on the US east coast.
The Innovation and Design Building
— Boston, US
The Innovation and Design Building
(IDB), located in Boston, is a place where,
according to the development’s website,
‘you won’t see a sea of cubicles’. The
tenants include a broad range of businesses
producing physical, digital and engineered
products. IDB is home to makers, designers,
architects, communicators, researchers,
manufacturers, technologists, innovators
and entrepreneurs.
The scale of the building allows the
tenants to expand without moving and the
interconnected communal spaces foster an
open exchange of information and ideas.
Moving south to Brooklyn, New York,
Industry City pitches itself as the ‘future
of creative production and innovation
economy’. The campus – almost 1 million
square metres of networked warehouse
structures – is attracting designers,
innovators, start-ups, manufacturers
and artists.
The spirit of creativity that overrides the
precinct is fostering creative capital:
fostering creative capital - and the campus
showcases initiatives as widespread as
rapid prototyping, boutique manufacturing,
technology and interior design.
Some of the on-site amenities include a
food hall and locally sourced restaurants,
curated public spaces, job placement
resources, a programmed events
schedule and ownership-sponsored
networking opportunities.

Tea Building
London, UK

The Innovation and
Design Building
Boston, US

Industry City
Brooklyn, US

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Tenants have collectively
showcased Hong Kong’s
high-quality brands and
elevated the appreciation
of the value created by
design and innovation.
PMQ
— Hong Kong, China
The Asian region is also shifting towards
a creative-capital approach to development
with the 2014 opening of PMQ in Hong
Kong. Operated by PMQ Management Co.
Ltd1
, the not-for-profit social enterprise was
established by the Musketeers Education
and Culture Charitable Foundation2
, in
collaboration with the Hong Kong Design
Centre3
, the Hong Kong Polytechnic
University4
and the Hong Kong Design
Institute of the Vocational Training Council5
.
Prior to its revitalisation, PMQ dates back
1
PMQ Management
Co. Ltd
non-profit social
enterprise
2
Musketeers
Education and
Culture Charitable
Foundation
3
Hong Kong Design
Centre
4
Hong Kong
Polytechnic University
5
Hong Kong Design
Institute of the
Vocational Training
Council
PMQ
hong kong, China
to 1951 and prior to its revitalisation the site
originally housed married police (Police
Married Quarters).
In November 2010, the HKSAR Government
announced the plan to preserve the site
for creative industries uses with the goal
of establishing PMQ as an icon of Hong
Kong creative industries. Since opening
in late 2014, the tenants have collectively
showcased Hong Kong’s high-quality
brands and elevated the appreciation of the
value created by design and innovation.

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
The next generation of
creative capital is already
emerging and focuses
on bringing temporary
creative activation to
specific sites.
Transitional___
— Singapore
The next generation of creative capital
is already emerging and focuses on
bringing temporary creative activation
to specific sites. ‘Transitional___’ is a
travelling creative platform that brings life
to various spaces around the city. Created
by placemaking studio Shophouse & Co1
,
it inhabits under-utilised spaces or ones in
transition, bringing a new lease of life and
unlocking their potential for landowners
through partnerships with the creative
community to showcase and prototype
new concepts.
In 2014, two ‘editions’ were organised –
the first one in a lofty industrial building
that was yet to be leased out and the
second in the rooftop space of the National
Design Centre.
At both editions, Transitional___ imagined
new possible uses for the spaces through
a range of installations and programs and
attracted footfall to spaces that had little to
none previously.
1 Shophouse & Co
placemaking
studio

Transitional___
singapore

The place report 2015 | Trend title15 The place report 2015 | Cur ated Destinations15
03TREND
04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
02
Curated Destinations
In contrast with the
concept of shopping malls
providing ‘all you need
under one roof’, precincts
and destinations are
starting to tap into
consumers’ specific
interests, lifestyle needs
and personal values.

03TREND
04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
1 Customer Attraction
Score (CAS)
Place Associates
2 Australian Centre for
Retail Studies
Monash University
Catering to the needs of the experiential
shopper, these destinations adopt
a curatorial approach to leasing and
programmed activities to draw customers.
These destinations not only become
popular local haunts, but also attract the
interest of tourists through their niche
and specialised offerings. In the context
of main-street retail challenges in many
cities around the world, highly curated
destinations and experiences led by
like-minded operators or developers are
providing a path to the urban renewal of
precincts and, in some cases, even cities.
Many of these developments find ‘homes’
in structures that are repurposed from an
industrial or commercial use.
Supporting the value of these types
of curated experiences, the Customer
Attraction Score (CAS)1
research conducted
by Place Associates with the Australian
Centre for Retail Studies2
in 2014 revealed
that a customer’s decision to visit is
primarily driven by social factors (44 per
cent before visiting and 49 per cent after),
specifically ‘reputation’, ‘image’, ‘opportunity
to socialise’ and ‘opportunities to shop with
others’. In addition, the most important
‘people’ factor for attracting visitation was
‘the profile of other shoppers’. This research
suggests that targeting a niche market
and offering an equally distinct experience
is an increasingly important competitive
advantage. With primary evidence such
as this, the value of investing in stand-out,
tailored experiences is clear.
There are three main areas in which curated
destinations are changing the way we
experience public congregation spaces.
The first of these is in ‘precinct propositions’
– where developers and operators with
an aligned vision and aesthetic catalyse a
precinct. The second is in ‘concept stores
and malls’, where individual operators or
entire centres extend their offer beyond
retail to cater for a specific niche market
with an integrated curated proposition.
The last is in the area of ‘programmatic
transformations’ – urban-renewal initiatives
in public spaces that are aided by the use of
technology to create holistic engagement
with visitors.

03TREND
04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
James Street
— Brisbane, Australia
There are several noteworthy examples
of precinct propositions, including James
Street1
, Brisbane. Before becoming a key
part of the Fortitude Valley’s urban-renewal
program, James Street was dominated by
a disused Coca-Cola bottling plant. The
precinct evolved somewhat organically but
is now marketed as a singular proposition
with two main anchors – 19 James St1
,
a 1990s commercial building transformation
owned by developer Centro 1&2
Partnership2
, and the James St Market and
Cooking School3
concept, courtesy of The
Standard Market Company4
.
The 19 James St development provides
high-end designer fashion, homewares and
dining as well as the Monocle magazine
pop-up shop. This is complemented by
James St Market5
, which provides fresh,
good-quality produce and food theatre
through its retail outlet and cooking school,
creating a destination for Brisbane’s
growing number of urbanites. Leasing
and marketing are conducted by a central
management body that gives a united voice
to the precinct, allowing for scheduled
events such as the James Street Food and
Wine Trail, which is in its third year.
1 19 James St
2 Centro 1&2
Partnership
3 James St Cooking
School
4 The Standard Market
Company
5 James St Market

James Street
Brisbane, Australia

03TREND
04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Gasworks Plaza
— Brisbane, Australia
Another example, Gasworks Plaza, also
found in Brisbane and anchored once
again by The Standard Market Company1
,
is another notable urban-renewal project,
this time a masterplanned community
covering 6.4 hectares located in Newstead,
an area of the city known for its heritage-
listed woolstores and luxury riverfront
apartments. Gasworks Plaza provides a
collection of retail and restaurant offers and
public spaces for its discerning audience –
the residents of premium apartments and
A-grade office spaces being developed in
its surrounds. When describing the mix of
retailers, MustDoBrisbane.com2
comments:
‘Good looks aside, some of the tenants
here alone warrant a visit to the plaza'.
1 The Standard Market
Company
2 MustDoBrisbane.com

Gasworks Plaza
Brisbane, Australia

03TREND
04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
In the area of curated
concept stores and
malls there is a range
of scales at play.
Merci
— Paris, France
In the area of curated concept stores and
malls there is a range of scales at play.
At the individual retailer scale, Merci in
Paris sells a curated selection of designer
merchandise alongside three restaurants
– the Used Book Café1
, the Cinema Café2
and the Merci Canteen3
. Spread over
three levels, the Merci shop is designed
to work like a magazine with events and
exhibitions that reflect the ‘Merci point of
view’ on subjects that are relevant to their
customers. When it comes to exclusivity,
Merci takes catering to a specific audience
to a new level with restrictions as to who
can purchase its clothing. Only ‘amis’
or ‘friends’ of Merci who form part of an
exclusive list may buy their clothing.
1 Used Book Café
2 Cinema Café
3 Merci Canteen

Merci
Paris, France

03TREND
04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND

03TREND
04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Bikini Berlin
— Berlin, Germany
On a larger scale, Bikini Berlin is an
exciting new addition to the concept mall
trend, combining unconventional retail
with work, relaxation, entertainment and
accommodation in its renovated 1950s
commercial factory site. The site was
developed by Bayerische Hausbau1
, one
of Germany’s largest integrated real estate
companies which has invested hundreds of
millions of euros into the revitalisation of the
area. Anchored by 25 Hours Hotel2
, the mall
is located in the City West and offers a mix
of boutique and flagship stores, exclusive
office spaces and the recently reopened
Zoo Palast3
cinema. The Zoo Palast cinema
was historically the home of the Berlin
International Film Festival, also called the
Berlinale, a festival that returned to the site
in 2014. Other features that set Bikini Berlin
apart include a rooftop terrace covering an
area of around 7000 square metres and a
spacious event area that is adjacent to and
complemented by 19 ‘Bikini Berlin Boxes’.
These modular structures are flexible,
understated and specifically reserved for
one-off operators or brand extensions that
cannot be found anywhere else in Berlin.
1 Bayerische Hausbau
Developer
2 25 Hours Hotel
Hotel
3 Zoo Palast
Cinema
Bikini Berlin
Berlin, Germany

03TREND
04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Finally, the area of programmatic curation
predominantly applies to destinations that
are publicly accessible and repurposed
for temporary activations or the renewal
of urban areas.
Les Berges
— Paris, France
The Riverbank regeneration project, in
Paris, now known as Les Berges, has
transformed the Left Bank with a range
of curated activities in various temporary
and semi-permanent spaces. A dynamic
social media platform led by an intuitive
app assists in driving visitation to the
site. There is a calendar of events and
even a suggested musical playlist to
complete the experience. The project is
funded both publicly and privately, with
support from the Mayor’s Office, SFR1
(a
telecommunications company) and specific
installations by aligned brands or products.
A multidisciplinary team manages the space
with leads in artistic design and overall
coordination. The leadership provided
by the curatorial team ensures a holistic
programmatic vision and high-quality
delivery year round.
Wanderlust
— Paris, France
Similarly, Wanderlust, also located
in Paris and opened in 2012, offers a
commercialised example of highly curated
programming to attract a broad audience
with shared values. The space caters
to diverse age groups through smart
1 SFR
Telecommunications
company
2 De La Mode et du
Design
3 French Institute of
Fashion
Les Berges
Paris, France
Wanderlust
Paris, France
programming. Programmatic features are
categorised as music, kitchen, sports,
workshops and cinema. The space combines
a restaurant, terrace and club and is located
at De La Mode et du Design2
, which is also
home to the French Institute of Fashion3
,
a design store, art museum and other
restaurants, bars and emerging designers.

The place report 2015 | Trend title23 the place report 2015 | Connective Public Art23
04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
03
Connective Public Art
With the rise of our
digitally connected
society, there has been
an increase in public art
and urban interventions
that seek to re-establish
a physical connection
between ourselves, our
environment and our
broader context.

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Our ‘broader context’ can refer to the
significant history and existing cultural
values of a place as well as important
social issues.
Public art and urban
interventions can
foster connectivity to
these entities through
interactive pieces, as
well as repurposing
and recontextualising
elements of the
urban fabric.
These techniques can encourage new
interactions with a place, initiate behavioural
change and push us to appreciate and/
or question our physical and mental
connection to place, culture and society.
Stolpersteine (Stumbling Blocks)
— Germany and greater Europe
Public art and urban interventions can
utilise the urban fabric of a place to
communicate the history of that place.
Stolpersteine (Stumbling Blocks) by
Gunter Demnig1
is an urban intervention
1 Gunter Demnig
Artist

Stolpersteine
(Stumbling Blocks)
Germany and
greater Europe
across Germany and greater Europe which
aims to honour and restore the identity of
thousands of individuals who were taken to
concentration camps in World War II. The
work consists of brass blocks which are
set within the footpath outside the original
place of residence of each individual and
are inscribed with ‘Here lived …’. The blocks
– which now total 48,000 – are subtle but
present an extremely powerful and emotive
gesture that draws public awareness to
the significant historical events which took
place and the individuals who lived there.

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Van Gogh-Roosegaarde
— Nuenen, Netherlands
Another piece of public art that seeks to
connect the public to the history of a place
is the Van Gogh-Roosegaarde bicycle path
in Nuenen. The path travels through the
province of Noord Brabant (North Brabant),
where Van Gogh was born and raised.
Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde1
has
used a solar-powered luminescent paint
and LEDs to illuminate the pathway with
swirling patterns referencing Van Gogh’s
1889 painting The Starry Night. The artwork
elevates a traditional bike ride into a
dreamy, artful experience. The piece also
celebrates Van Gogh by creating a narrative
appropriate to the location.
The Musée du quai Branly
— Paris, France
Public art and urban interventions can also
serve to connect the public to the cultural
values of a place. The Musée du quai
Branly in Paris is an ethnographic museum
dedicated to presenting the arts
of Africa, Asia, the Americas and Oceania
to European audiences. The museum
recently commissioned a permanent
artwork by Aboriginal artist Lena Nyadbi2
for the museum’s 700-square-metre roof
terrace. The artwork, Dayiwul Lirlmim
(Barramundi Scales), can only be viewed
from the Eiffel Tower or via Google Earth.
The artwork also extends to a tactile facade
and the internal ceilings, allowing passers-
by to experience it. The work showcases
to the broader community the high value
of the cultural partnership between France
and Australia. This is also symbolically
communicated by its rooftop placement,
as when viewed from above a piece of
Indigenous Australia is physically nestled in
the Parisian urban fabric.
1 Daan Roosegaarde
designer
2 Lena Nyadbi
Aboriginal artist
Van Gogh-
Roosegaarde
Nuenen,
Netherlands

Musée du quai Branly
Paris, France

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
1 The Exploratorium
museum
2 MIT
Massachusetts
Institute of
Technology
Living Innovation
Zone (LIZ)
San Francisco, US
Living Innovation Zone (LIZ)
— San Francisco, US
Public art and urban interventions can also
develop the predominant activities of an
area in new ways. This is evident in San
Francisco’s Living Innovation Zone (LIZ)
program, which allows technology and
creative businesses to utilise city-owned
assets to implement urban interventions
that facilitate exploration, innovation and
play, thereby extending the innovation
culture out of the offices and into public
space for all to experience.
The program is a partnership between
government bodies (the San Francisco
Mayor’s Office of Civic Innovation, SF
Planning and SF DPW) and creative
organisations, which design and manage
the intervention. A pilot of the program
implemented by The Exploratorium1
is
currently underway on Market Street in the
city centre and has been dubbed a ‘High-
Tech Playground for Adults’.
A popular intervention designed by MIT2
is the Musical Bench that composes music
from people’s ‘galvanic skin response’. The
San Francisco Mayor’s Office hopes that the
project will continue to produce new ideas,
creating a collaborative and dynamic city.

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
The Grand Tour
— London, UK
The Grand Tour was an urban intervention
in London that also resulted in the public
interacting with the city in a unique way.
Creative agency The Partners1
assisted
the National Gallery2
to launch a campaign
to promote its collection and increase
visitation. The Grand Tour consisted of
44 high-quality replicas of famous artworks
that were strategically dispersed throughout
London in a variety of well-known, discreet
and quirky locations. Artworks were set in
traditional ornate frames with citations –
recontextualising the city and its walls
into a huge gallery. The artworks were
supported with printed and downloadable
maps with various tours, such as the
one-hour ‘Lunchtime Tours’ for office
workers or the ‘The Lovers’ Tour’, a
curated walk to all the romantic paintings.
Through this intervention we can see public
space being used to create an accessible
experience in art and culture, the by-
product of which is experiencing the city
in a new and engaging way.
The Dancing Traffic Light
— Lisbon, Portugal
Urban interventions can also repurpose
parts of the fabric of a city as a means to
effect behavioural change and improve
livability. A prime example was found in
Lisbon, where the city and car brand Smart3
launched an initiative to engage the public
1 The Partners
Creative agency
2 National Gallery
art museum
3 Smart
Car brand
The Grand Tour
London, UK
The Dancing
Traffic Light
Lisbon, Portugal
and reduce the amount of traffic-related
pedestrian accidents. The traditional
traffic light man was animated to entertain
pedestrians with dance moves while they
waited to walk. The choreography came
from the public themselves, as participants
could dance in a booth where their
movements were mapped to the traffic light
in real time using Kinect technology. The
playful hacking of the traditional traffic light
man captivated pedestrians and resulted
in 81 per cent more people stopping at the
traffic light, thereby creating safer streets.

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Year of the Bus
— London, UK
Transport for London also launched an
intervention as a means to encourage
the use of public transport. In celebration
of the Year of the Bus, famous American
photographer David LaChapelle1
presented
his Land Scape series on the rooftops of
bus shelters. The works can only be viewed
from the top deck of a double-decker, and it
was the unconventional location and nature
of an art tour by public bus that encouraged
more people to use public transport.
RainCity Housing
— Vancouver, Canada
Site-specific public art and urban
interventions that recontextualise elements
of the urban fabric can serve to powerfully
provoke awareness of social issues.
Spring Advertising2
and RainCity Housing3
developed a campaign to highlight the
terrible conditions experienced by the
homeless in Vancouver. Park benches
were activated with statements such
as ‘This is a bench. This is a bedroom’.
Benches were also converted into shelters,
generously inviting the homeless to sleep
there: ‘Find a home here’. This provocative
reframing of the use of a public bench
challenges the perceptions of the
everyday person in an attempt to foster
awareness and compassion about the
issue of homelessness.
1 David LaChapelle
photographer
2 Spring Advertising
Agency
3 RainCity Housing
Social Services
Organisation
Year of the Bus
London, UK
RainCity Housing
Vancouver, Canada

04TREND
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Inside Out
— Global art project
Inside Out by the French photographer
JR1
is a global participatory art project that
allows groups to present their portraits as
a visual statement to the community on an
issue requiring action. Issues range from
environmental sustainability to domestic
violence and other social injustices. The
large-format posters are visually confronting
and pasted in a location relevant to the
issue. This creates a significant connection
between the group, the place, the issue and
those who encounter the artwork.
1 JR
photographer

Inside Out
Global art project
According to US organisation Project for
Public Spaces, placemaking instils a sense
of ownership in the people who use a given
space and develops a sense of community
pride and stewardship that is critical to
creating truly sustainable cities and towns.
It can be said that public art and urban
interventions exemplify a similar value. They
have the potential to connect the public
to their environment through thought-
provoking and memorable experiences.
When done exceptionally
well, the public dynamic
can change in positive
ways, mobilising new
behaviours, perceptions
and appreciation of
our environment and
wider community.

The place report 2015 | Trend title31 the place report 2015 | airport attr actors31
05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
04
Airport Attractors
According to the
International Aviation
Transport Authority
(IATA), last year 3.5
billion people flew, up an
extraordinary 43 per cent
in only four years.

05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
1 airlinetrends.com
As air travel becomes even more affordable
across the developing world, these rates
are set to climb at double-digit annual
growth. The escalating number of flyers
directly increases the number of flights,
and in turn the size and number of airports
globally. Due to this heightened market
competition, airports are reinventing their
typically homogenous offer, which in the
past has merely responded to the practical
requirements of governing authorities
rather than accommodating the experiential
aspirations of travellers and visitors.
The new airport is
one that invites
consumers to come in
not only for transit, but
also for the experience
offered within.
According to Raymond Kollau, co-founder
of airlinetrends.com1
, ‘Forward-looking
airports are realising that they have to
differentiate the passenger experience.’
Kollau says they are tackling this ‘not only
by designing seamless, efficient, processes
and fancy terminals, but also by creating a
distinct ambiance with a unique and flexible
portfolio of retail, food and beverage and
service concepts’.
These new city gateways have redefined
the expectations of visitors and travellers
alike. It is no longer acceptable to offer
a sterile process-driven experience. All
aspects have the potential to engage and
provide a unique market proposition.
As the owners have quickly learnt, such an
offer broadens the appeal of the airport,
ensuring consistent year-round visitation
from loyal locals. From the perspective
of asset owners, this underlying shift in
business model relates to an increasing
reliance on auxiliary sources of revenue,
such as retail leasing and casual parking,
as opposed to the traditional areas of
passenger taxes or airline fees.
To support the idea of airports as attractors
of visitors rather than just ‘processors’ of
travellers many are exploring how they can
offer a distinct local retail proposition.

05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
San Francisco International Airport
Globally, numerous examples exist of more
progressive airports embracing local retail
brands and food producers, few better
than the retail pop-up concession program
launched by San Francisco International
Airport at the newly redesigned Terminal 31
.
In all, 12 retail concessions situated in the
prime ‘air side’ zone present international
travellers and visitors with a range of one-
off and boutique local food, restaurants and
retail operators. The guiding principle of
the program is to attract parochial locals,
while introducing international guests to a
distinctly San Franciscan experience.
From a financial perspective, the pop-up
concession stands were created to allow
retailers to test their concepts at SFO
without a huge investment.
Based on the earlier experience of a re-
designed Terminal 22
, this latest terminal
to receive a makeover will benefit from
an increased average retail spend per
passenger: at $15, Terminal 2 is well above
the US national average.
1 Terminal 3
2 Terminal 2

San Francisco
International Airport
San Francisco, uS

05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Arlanda Airport
— Stockholm , Sweden
Beyond the internalised pop-up programs,
Arlanda Airport1
, in Stockholm, has
extended the appeal of the airport for locals
not willing to even enter the airport itself.
First the airport revamped its food offerings
to passengers travelling through the facility.
In order to raise awareness of its new
cafes and restaurants, the airport owners
began taking samples of the cuisine to the
inhabitants of Stockholm via food trucks.
The owners realised that accessibility was
key, and with a price of SEK65 ($US10),
a meal is very reasonable. As the vehicle’s
location changes it keeps customers
updated of its whereabouts through its
own digital and social media channels.
Naturally, offering a ‘sample’ of the food
offer beyond the bounds of the airport is
an innovative way for the airport to promote
and attract locals who may not necessarily
be travelling.
1 Arlanda Airport

Arlanda Airport
Stockholm, Sweden

05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND

05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Into the future this
local food-centric
proposition will continue
with airports such as
Newark’s (New Jersey)
United Terminal.
Newark's United Terminal
— New Jersey, US
Into the future this local food-centric
proposition will continue with airports
such as Newark’s United Terminal set
for a refurbishment to transform it into a
food lover’s paradise. The David Rockwell
Group1
-designed space, slated to open in
late 2016, provides travellers and visitors
with the full range of food experiences,
including a piazza-like cafe area and beer
garden, and a space which physically
changes from day to night.
Digital integration will also prove
fundamental with the addition of 6000
iPads to the space, with one per seat in
each dining facility and in 80 per cent of
gate seating. The intention is that iPads will
be equipped with card swipes, allowing
travellers to purchase food from their seats.
At the point of sale the restaurants will
be run entirely through automated self-
checkout. In addition to facilitating the food
ordering process, the iPads will also provide
flight information, allowing passengers to
relax while waiting for the boarding call.
1 David Rockwell Group
Design agency

Newark’s United
Terminal
New Jersey, US

05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Interestingly, a longer dwell time even
opens up the possibility of impulse or
unplanned purchases, which generally
carry a price premium. Naturally, dwell
time does not need to be used for retail
purchases alone.
Schiphol Airport
— Amsterdam , Netherlands
For many travellers and visitors, the idea
of using this time to relax or socialise is
far more appealing. At Schiphol Airport1
in Amsterdam, in Pier D, an ‘airport park’
has been installed. The park has created
an environment which resembles a natural
space, which is highly unusual for an airport.
The Loft by Brussels Airlines
— Brussels Airport , Belgium
Similar to the Schiphol example, but
sponsored by Microsoft, is The Loft by
Brussels Airlines, at Brussels Airport. The
new ‘connected lounge’ concept makes
use of design, technology and Belgian
gastronomy to create an innovative lounge
environment. At more than 1200 square
metres, the flagship lounge situated in
Pier A is four times bigger than the
previous lounge and offers guests new
levels of service and amenity.
The lounge contains eight different
‘hubs’, including one which was a joint
collaboration between the carrier,
Related to the inclusion of more localised
and authentic food offers is the new-found
emphasis on customer dwell times (CDT).
Research undertaken
by UK-based Dolby
Consulting¹
suggests
that a doubling of the
dwell time from 30 to
60 minutes increases
the likelihood of
food purchase.
1 Dolby Consulting
Research agency

Schiphol Airport
Amsterdam,
Netherlands

The Loft by Brussels
Airlines
Brussels, Belgium

Bloomberg Business
Lounge
London, UK
Microsoft and innovation firm Designit.
Along with inspirational spaces in which to
relax or work, there are also ‘napping boxes’
in which travellers can rest. Availability can
be checked in advance using the airport’s
connected lounge application.
Bloomberg Business Lounge
— London , UK
This type of brand-sponsored facility is
becoming more widespread with another
sponsored working and relaxation lounge
being launched at Heathrow Airport,
London (UK) under the name of the
Bloomberg Business Lounge.

05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Gatwick Airport
Crawley, UK
Converge@flySFO
San francisco, US
Gatwick Airport
— Crawley, UK
Similarly, the flexible office provider Regus
has installed four ‘workbox’ units at Gatwick
Airport, Crawley. The self-contained and
noise-proof boxes provide travellers with
the opportunity to make last-minute calls,
finish emails or connect with colleagues
by video conference. Users are charged
an hourly rate or subscribe to an
annual membership.
Converge@flySFO
Even without big-brand sponsorship San
Francisco’s Converge@flySFO initiative
shows how forward-thinking airports are
providing work and collaboration spaces
which offer a differentiated experience.
Tapping into San Francisco’s entrepreneurial
start-up culture, the centrally located space
is dedicated to the exchange of ideas.

05TREND
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Tom Bradley International Terminal
— Los Angeles, US
The final aspect of this trend is the
incorporation of notable artistic installations.
One of the better examples in the past
year is a seven-part multimedia feature
at Tom Bradley International Terminal,
Los Angeles. The result is the largest
immersive multimedia system of any airport
on the American continent. Four hours of
original video content were created for the
artworks, as well as multiple interactive
capsules, using the latest in high-resolution
imaging, 3D effects and interactivity
based on people’s movements and real-
time airport information. The installation
transforms the terminal into an engaging
and memorable space in which to spend
time and pass through.
Such iconic commissioned artworks are
becoming real attractors for travellers and
visitors alike. In 2013, another example at
Singapore’s Changi Airport was installed.
The interactive artwork allows travellers to
upload and share their photos and videos.
This visual data is then ‘attached’ to the
animated crown of the structure which
is comprised of 64 large 42-inch high-
definition screens.
Regardless of the execution – artistic or not
– the new airport model of attraction and
user engagement is only going to become
more prevalent in the future.
Tom Bradley
International
Terminal
Los Angeles, Us

The place report 2015 | Trend title40 the place report 2015 | Tr ansformative Education40
06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
05
Transformative Education
How and where we
learn is rapidly evolving,
driven in large part by
the introduction of new
technologies and a desire
to embrace collaborative
and cross-disciplinary
learning formats.

06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
The continuing desire for ‘lifelong learning’
is requiring educational providers to think
differently about how they present their
courses, which has opened the door to
educational experiences being staged in
a range of unexpected places. As market
expectations change, non-traditional
educational entities are challenging the
traditional conventions. The ongoing
question is how established educational
institutions will adapt in response to
this changing learning landscape. The
Transformative Education trend explores
the factors at play in the evolution of
education and learning in this new age.
Since the early 2000s, cities in the
developed world have recognised the
benefit of developing innovation districts,
which encourage emerging industries and
support entrepreneurs.
Boston Innovation District
— Boston, US
One such example is the Boston Innovation
District, which has emerged with the
full support of local council and private
investors. The mission for the development
of the space is to ‘build, strengthen and
connect individuals and communities of
innovators while expanding reach, visibility
and benefits of the Greater Boston’s
innovation economy’.
1 District Hall
community centre

Boston Innovation
District
Boston, US
The district is grounded by a community-
based centre called the District Hall1
,
a place to gather to share ideas and
knowledge. This collaborative destination
offers a full complement of workspaces,
classrooms, an assembly space and
‘flexible-use pods’ as well as an all-
important on-site cafe. The investment in
this facility demonstrates the importance of
knowledge sharing and rapid learning in the
development of new enterprises. It is a case
of understanding the needs of the users of
an innovation precinct, thus supporting the
entire community.

06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
1 McKinsey & Company
consulting firm
1 Frank Gehry
Architect
University of
Technology
Sydney,
Australia
As businesses are responding to these
changes the focus turns to the way in which
workers of the future are being taught: what
are they learning and which skills are critical
in this new age? As pointed out in the 2013
McKinsey1
Global Institute report Disruptive
technologies: Advances that will transform
life, business and the global economy', in
order to prepare economies for the new world
order of technology and innovation-driven
business, educational providers must already
be rethinking how they deliver their product
and moving beyond traditional spaces.
University of Technology
— Sydney, Australia
The University of Technology Business
School, located in Sydney, has placed this
new order front and centre, establishing new
learning approaches in spaces that foster
skills the school sees as being necessary for
leaders in the future. Prolific architect Frank
Gehry2
was commissioned in 2009 to create
the learning space that would emphasise
creativity and innovative thinking through
interdisciplinary collaboration and in doing
so would encourage the cross-pollination
of ideas. Driving this paradigm shift is the
Business School’s approach to preparing
students for the demands of the world by
producing ‘integrative thinkers’ who can
combine traditional business skills with
those of more creative disciplines.

06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
On a macro scale, the democratisation of
education is another aspect facing nations
and governments of the world.
Knowledge Plazas
— Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
In Rio de Janeiro, the local Mayor and
current government have invested heavily
in the building of six ‘Knowledge Plazas’
or ‘Knowledge Spaceships’. These digitally
geared education facilities are located in
the city’s favelas and are seen as a way of
giving greater access to digital technology
and thus greater levels of education for
the masses. It is this high exposure to
technology and learning programs that
the government hopes will bring about an
end to the poverty cycle. The pivotal point
driving this ambitious outcome is that the
spaces will provide excellent educational
opportunities to both adults and children in
order to build skills and increase access to
information, which the government says is a
‘right that is owed to all citizens’.
Broader access to the internet, faster
internet speeds and the proliferation of
access to online learning has spurred on an
‘education by demand’ trend. This model,
where universities now compete with the
likes of free online course providers such as
Coursera1
, gives aspiring students access
to greater options about what they learn,
when they learn and how they learn. This
is education delivered ‘by convenience’
through very different fee models – if they
are not already free. General Assembly2
delivers career-enhancing courses online
or in small educational facilities in cities
around the world. It runs courses over a
variety of periods, with some lasting just
weeks or even hours.
1 Coursera
Telecommunications
company
2 General Assembly
Training School
Knowledge Plazas
Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil

06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND

06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Laneway Learning
— Australian cities and Singapore
Laneway Learning is a similar program
that pushes this convenience model even
further by holding classes in non-traditional
learning environments, such as cafes, bars
or event spaces. With a mission to make
education ‘as accessible and inexpensive
as possible’, Laneway Learning courses are
taught by experienced ‘members of the
community’ or professionals rather than
qualified teachers. Its mission is to provide
greater access to education by making it
an easy experience to integrate into one’s
life. Laneway Learning operates out of four
Australian cities and Singapore.
Konnektid
— Amsterdam, Netherlands
In an effort to harness the collective
knowledge of persons across age
groups, ethnic backgrounds and
professional expertise, the online learning
and social connection platform Konnektid
has emerged. With an ethos similar to
Laneway Learning, Konnektid says ‘the
potential to learn anything is right in your
own neighborhood’. The idea behind this
online learning network is to activate
the knowledge of communities and to
encourage people to share their skills or
expertise with others. In doing so, this
model helps to ignite a sense of community
spirit. Having started in Amsterdam, the
online platform is now available for persons
interested in learning or ‘teaching’ in all
cities globally.

Laneway Learning
Australian cities
and Singapore
Konnektid
Amsterdam,
Netherlands

06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
These 'schools' are run
from high-street retail
locations challenging
the notion of where we
believe education and
learning can occur.
The School of Life
— London, UK
Increasing access to education by
delivering learning experiences outside
traditional classrooms is also demonstrated
by The School of Life. An initiative led
by mainstream philosopher Alain de
Botton1
, the ‘school’ concentrates on
teaching subjects that relate to ‘emotional
intelligence’ and asks students to ‘step
back and think intelligently about central
emotional concerns’. The School of Life
operates in eight locations worldwide and
each offers a range of classes, workshops
or ‘everyday adventures’. These ‘schools’
are run from high-street retail locations,
with each including a cafe and retail store.
As such, they challenge the notion of
where we traditionally believe education
and learning can occur.
Blackhorse Workshop
— London, UK
A more ‘hands-on learning experience’ is
Blackhorse Workshop, located in London.
This ‘community of makers’ opened its
doors to the public in 2014 and is supported
by various government funds. Blackhorse
boasts a professional wood and metal
workshop on site and encourages people
to use the space to make, repair and
experiment in the company of experienced
technicians, trade professionals,
craftspeople and hobbyists. It operates on
a membership model, which provides
access to the various workspaces, classes
and events. Blackhorse also serves as a
meeting ground for people with a shared
passion, knowledge and interest, with a
cafe located on site.
1 Alain de Botton
Philosopher

The School of Life
London, UK
Blackhorse Workshop
London, UK

06TREND
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
TK Park is a hub for
learning and was
designed to provide
'easy to access'
information for
the public.
TK Park
— Bangkok, Thailand
Blurring the lines between commercial
spaces and those traditionally assigned
to education is TK Park in Bangkok.
The knowledge park is located in the
grand shopping precinct called Central
World1
. Owned and operated by the Thai
government, TK Park is a hub for learning
and was designed to provide ‘easy to
access’ information for the public.
The vision was for it to be ‘convenient for
every user to learn creatively for all their
lives’. The facility houses a multimedia
library and 4D cinema specifically for
children, designed to develop reading
and learning behaviours and habits in an
enjoyable environment. In addition to these
spaces, there is a ‘mind room’ for ideas
exchange and creative forums, a quiet
room, a music library and a ‘dream yard’ for
creative and artistic exploration.
1 Central World
Shopping Mall

TK Park
Bangkok, Thailand

The place report 2015 | Trend title48 the place report 2015 | Micro-Living48
07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
06
Micro-Living
According to the United
Nations 2014 report
'World Urbanization
Prospects', by 2050,
the global population
expected to live in cities
will rise to 6.33 billion,
or 66 per cent of the
world’s total forecast
population of 9.6 billion.

07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Demographic changes are also occurring at
a rapid rate, specifically the ever-increasing
rise in single-person households (in cities
such as New York, 34 per cent, or San
Francisco, 39 per cent) and an ageing
population. Combine this with economic
factors, such as increasing fossil-fuel energy
costs and scarcity of natural resources, and
the case for smaller-scale living is strong.
The trend of ‘living small’ is certainly not
new. Originating in Japan and practised due
to a shortage of land, families historically
lived in row houses with around ten square
metres of core living space and large
communal areas. By the late 1980s even
the Japanese had discovered the world’s
appetitie for larger homes, with a ten-fold
increase in the average size of residential
dwellings compared to the historically
compact living quarters.
However, in recent years the global trend is
undoubtedly moving back towards smaller
living environments, with larger communal
spaces traded for more central locations,
access and amenities.
The latest ‘small-living’ trend can be divided
into two main categories: societal – which is
driving supply – and on the demand
side, livability.
However, this rate of
urbanised population
is already considerably
higher within individual
countries, such as the
United States, with
roughly 82 per cent of
the population living in
urban areas.

07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Societal changes, such
as population growth
and the rise of single-
person households,
increasing costs of
purchasing residential
property and relaxed
legislation incentivising
the conversion of
existing property, have
all driven supply.
SmartSpace
For example, several municipalities in the
United States are waving existing zoning
regulations to allow the construction or
re-purposing of smaller dwellings. As
San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener1
remarked in 2013 on the passing of his
legislative act, ‘we need to think outside
the box in providing housing for our
population’. Wiener sponsored the
legislation to allow 375 ‘micro-apartments’
under the development name of
SmartSpace to proceed.
Panoramic Interests2
(US), which has been
a leader of this trend and built the first
120 SmartSpace micro-apartments in San
Francisco's SoMa precinct, developed
SmartSpace in San Francisco’s SoMa
precinct as a demonstration project used to
evaluate ‘the potential of high performance,
net zero energy, factory built dwellings
in dense urban environments’. The
project consisted of 23 units which were
fully assembled in a factory outside San
Francisco (including all cabinets, finishes,
fixtures and lighting) and delivered to the
tight laneway site in central San Francisco.
The four-storey building was erected over
the course of just four days.
1 Scott Wiener
San Francisco
Board of
Supervisors
2 Panoramic Interests
developers

SmartSpace
San Francisco, US

07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Texas Micro
— San Antonio, US
Across the United States, other boutique
developers are specialising in small-living
projects, such as AREA Real Estate1
which
has repurposed a former indoor shopping
mall located in Providence, Rhode Island,
into 48 efficiently designed micro-loft living
spaces. This and another project to be
completed later this year in San Antonio –
100 units termed ‘Texas Micro’, with each
small apartment ranging between 15 and
25 square metres – indicate that the trend
is not only found in the largest global cities.
Combined with the increasingly accepting
governance and legislative environment,
the financial attractiveness of this type of
development is also encouraging supply.
The relative cost of dwellings may be
more affordable; however, the comparative
square metre price often carries a premium.
As noted by Bloomberg Businessweek in
‘Micro-Apartments in the Big City’:
‘Quarters may be small, but rents are not’.
On the demand side, shifting livability
preferences, both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’,
have encouraged the adoption of small
living. These factors include proximity to
infrastructure, workplaces, retail hubs and
existing social networks. Added to this is
the belief among buyers that more densely
1 AREA Real Estate
boutique
developer
2 Panoramic Interests
developer

Texas Micro
San Antonio, US
populated precincts offer an enriched
cultural and social experience.
Living and working in close proximity
provides many benefits. It produces not only
the market demand for a range of services
presented in small footprints – micro or
niche businesses that would seldom thrive
in a less densely populated precincts –
but also provides an ever-present social
attraction and activity, satisfying our basic
need for interaction.
Additionally, for those who embrace
small living there is a ‘feel-good’ factor
that their lifestyle contributes to a
reduction in environmental impact and
conserves natural resources.

07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND

07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
The application for the trend is not solely
focused on interior spaces. It is the
associated implications for city planning,
with a much greater dependence on
communal, typically outdoor, facilities,
amenities and infrastructure, which will
deliver the most noticeable changes for
inner-urban residents. This requirement is
what Michael Gamble, associate professor
at Georgia Tech School of Architecture1
,
describes as a ‘very healthy balance
between what we call the public and private
realm’. If this balance is not achieved,
Gamble warns that ‘there is a tipping point
related to general health [associated with]
small apartments’.
Paradiset 19-21
— Stockholm, Sweden
In response to this need for a ‘balanced’
public and private realm, prototype projects
such as ‘Paradiset 19-21’, located in central
Stockholm, are on the rise. According to the
Swedish architects, Kjellander + Sjöberg,
the project promotes ‘green space and
social-ecological resilience. Given the
dense inner city location, every available
space is secured and used to provide
recreation and positive experiences for
the residents.’ To support the residents’
experience, the development includes a
series of expansive green roof terraces
containing both communal and private
spaces for spending time outdoors,
cultivation, playing and socialising.
1 Georgia Tech School
of Architecture
college
Paradiset 19-21
Stockholm, Sweden

07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Other examples of
smart thinking are
being practised by
architects, interior and
industrial designers
who are attracted to the
interrelated challenges
of resolving multiple
uses in compact spaces.
Muji Vertical Apartment
— Tokyo, Japan
Across the world, these types of one-off
individual dwelling prototypes can range
from the brand-led (Muji’s vertical Tokyo
apartment – three-storey pre-fabricated
unit), to social housing concepts (Bamboo
Micro Homes – utilising spaces within Hong
Kong’s abandoned factory buildings), to
construction company initiatives (Dutch
Heijmans ONE pre-fab moveable home) and
the iconic (New Zealand’s Crosson Clarke
Carnachan’s 40 square metre double-storey
movable beach residence).
On the fringes of the movement proponents
are practising ‘upcycling’ or re-use of
either spaces of materials. One of the
more noteworthy projects was undertaken
by Savannah College of Art and Design1
,
based in Atlanta, Georgia. The prototype
project asked students to develop solutions
to the growing urban housing changes in
cities worldwide by designing temporary
living solutions all within a repurposed
parking structure situated on its Atlanta
campus. Students have the added benefit
of living in the spaces once complete.
1 Savannah College of
Art and Design
design school

Muji Vertical
Apartment
Tokyo, Japan

07TREND
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
The final ‘smart’ aspect
of this trend relates to
the creation of small-
living objects found
within these spaces.
As many of these projects are unable
to use standard furniture and fittings,
developments often commission designers
to customise bespoke transformable
furniture, even going to the length of
individualising each dwelling through the
use of 3D-printed technology.
Additionally, architectural hardware
companies, such as bathroom products
brand TOTO1
(Japan), have designed fittings
specifically for small living. The Aquia toilet
can be accommodated in a bathroom as
small as 0.84 square metres, its innovation
being a ultra-thin high-efficiency water tank
hidden within the backing wall. The product
not only saves on water expenses, but also
better utilises the limited available space.
With technological advancement supporting
a greater degree of mass customisation,
smart density will only continue to enhance
how we live, inside and out.
1 TOTO
sanitary ware
producer

The place report 2015 | Trend title56 the place report 2015 | conscious environments56
08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
07
Conscious Environments
More than cosmetic
beautification through
greenery, this trend
applies principles
of environmental
psychology to ensure
the built environment
supports the physical
and emotional wellbeing
of its occupants.

08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
While the benefits of designing for
wellbeing have been previously accepted,
the widespread application of this trend
has been linked to the development of
measurement analytics which for the first
time have the potential to quantify the
financial gains derived from conscious
environments. These workplace productivity
gains or residential price premiums have led
the global property sector to consciously
create environments with the wellbeing of
occupants the leading consideration.
One of the world's leading developers
in the wellbeing space, Delos1
(US), has
delivered a range of projects across sectors
since forming in 2011. However, one of
it's landmark residential developments,
described as a ‘wellness loft2
’, is located in
the Meatpacking District, Manhattan. As
the company outlines, ‘the loft was privately
commissioned for a family seeking a home
that would enhance their lives and optimize
their health’. The more than 75 wellness
amenities and innovations are mostly
unseen by the naked eye and help improve
the occupants’ air, water, light, nutrition
and sleep.
The most established area of study, and
hence evidence documenting the benefits
of conscious environments, is found
within the health sector. One such study
of whether these environments improve
1 Delos
Wellness Real
Estate
2 Wellness Loft
Development
3 University of Exeter
Medical School
4 Journal of the
American Medical
Directors Association
Publication
patient recovery or resident wellbeing
was undertaken by the University of
Exeter Medical School3
(UK), which found
that gardens provide therapeutic relief
for dementia patients. Published in the
Journal of the American Medical Directors
Association4
, the research examined the
effects of gardens on the mental and
physical wellbeing of dementia patients in
nursing homes and found that they were
proven to lower the agitation levels of
the patients.

08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Brooklyn Grange
— Brooklyn, US
This same ‘garden’ concept has been
applied across a range of development
types, including not-for-profit, community,
residential and commercial. One of the
earlier rooftop examples, Brooklyn
Grange continues to operate the world’s
largest rooftop soil farms, across two
rooftops in Brooklyn, New York City.
To date, the project has sold more than
50,000 kg (120,000 lbs) of vegetables
to restaurants and directly to the public
through weekly market stalls.
Moyo
— Cape Town, South Africa
The practice of urban farming, first seen
in widespread application on the rooftops
of Brooklyn, had made its way to Cape
Town, South Africa by early 2013. The
Moyo Waterfront Development is a two-
storey restaurant, open-air food market and
‘urban farm’. Unlike Brooklyn Grange, the
2000-square-metre development covers
all four product life stages on-site: growing,
cultivating, selling and eating. It even
contains an aquaponic urban farm which
supplies live fish to the restaurant. Since
completion in 2013, the development has
been commercially successful, with more
than 23 million visitors per year attracted to
the city’s waterfront precinct.
Brooklyn Grange
Brooklyn, US
Moyo
Cape town,
south africa

08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
1 Kono Designs
Architect
Pasona
Tokyo, Japan
Pasona Group
— Tokyo, Japan
Even workplaces are tapping into the
benefits of urban farming. The Pasona
Group headquarters, located in the heart
of sprawling Tokyo, is on paper a nine-
storey, 20,000-square-metre inauspicious
commercial building. However, inside the
building there is more than 4000 square
metres of green growing space with 200
species, including fruits, vegetables and rice
that are harvested, prepared and served at
the cafeterias within the building. All this
makes the Pasona building the largest and
most direct farm-to-table of its kind ever
realised inside an office building in Japan.
The true benefits, of course, are found
beyond these sorts of statistics, with the
building’s architects, New York-based Kono
Designs1
, stating that Pasona Urban Farm
‘creates a unique workplace environment
that promotes workers’ productivity,
mental health, and social interaction and
engages the wider community of Tokyo by
showcasing the benefits and technology of
urban agriculture’.

08TREND
09TREND
10TREND

08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
As the Pasona Group has recognised, the
benefits of conscious environments are
clear when applied to workplaces. As a
2014 report from the World Green Building
Council (WorldGBC)1
supports, there is
‘overwhelming evidence’ that office design
significantly impacts the health, wellbeing
and productivity of staff. The study, entitled
Health, Wellbeing and Productivity in
Offices: The Next Chapter for Green
Building2
, asserts that a broad range of
factors – from air quality and lighting, to
views of nature and interior layout – have
the potential to positively improve the
satisfaction, productivity and retention of
employees within workplaces. For example,
improved indoor air quality, covering lower
concentrations of CO2
and pollutants
and high ventilation rates, can lead to
productivity improvements of 8–11 per cent
alone. This is further endorsed by primary
research undertaken by Place Associates3
through the Workplace Efficiencies and
Behaviours Benchmark (WEBB)4
, which
surveyed more than 8000 Australian
workers to determine the environmental
factors, such as ‘access to natural light’, that
directly correlate to employee satisfaction
and productivity.
1 World Green Building
Council
2 Health, Wellbeing
and Productivity in
Offices: The Next
Chapter for Green
Building
3 Place Associates
4 Workplace
Efficiencies
and Behaviours
Benchmark

World Green Center
Santiago, Chile
World Green Center
— Santiago, Chile
One yet-to-be-completed example of
a large-scale commercial site which is
recognising the importance of natural
light is the World Green Center, located in
Santiago. The offices were designed around
an imperative of natural light with 100 per
cent coverage in all spaces. Interestingly,
artificial light is used only by night –
not at all during the day. Other worker
considerations include green roof terraces
which connect with 900 people from
top-floor offices. As the project architects
cCe commented, ‘the relationship with
nature increases [the] mind health of every
worker and helps in having a healthy work
environment’. Additionally, public green
parklands cover 70 per cent of the site: ‘For
the people who do not have greenery in
their immediate office area, there is a public
park at the street level, allowing everyone
access to green space’.

08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
St Canice’s Rooftop Kitchen Garden
— Sydney, Australia
The social benefits of conscious
environments are also starting to be
realised. St Canice’s Rooftop Kitchen
Garden, located in Sydney, Australia, offers
refugees seeking asylum the opportunity to
participate in a meaningful activity during
the long periods of time when they are
unable to work prior to their applications
being granted. The garden volunteers,
many of whom possess farming knowledge
gained in their homeland, grow a range of
herbs and vegetables which supply local
restaurants as well as the weekly soup
kitchen. The kitchen garden, situated on
the previously unused rooftop above St
Canice’s Church, is hoping to partner with
nearby St Vincent’s Hospital1
in providing a
horticultural therapy program to patients.
1 St Vincent’s Hospital
St Canice’s Rooftop
Kitchen Garden
Sydney, Australia

08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
Hualien Wellness and Residential
Development
— Taiwan
These community-led programs typify a
wider global trend towards the creation of
holistic environments which better consider
the wellbeing of occupants. One such
example is the yet-to-be-completed Hualien
Wellness and Residential Development,
located on the eastern coast of Taiwan.
The demographic profile of the area is
changing, facilitating a growing demand
for places where retired seniors can
enjoy an active lifestyle. The entire site
is designed around the philosophy of
‘neighbourly interaction’. According to the
Danish landscape architects Bjarke Ingels
Group (BIG), ‘the buildings are shaped
to encourage the growth of a community
that is health-conscious and productive’.
In addition to designated speed-walking
paths, a public path wraps around the entire
complex and is studded with interesting
activities to spark interest and encourage
more walking and exercise, such as an
observation point, performance stage,
shops and restaurants. Even the harsh
winters have been considered, with an
underground jogging path also serving as
an excellent short cut to all buildings via
an interior route. However, it is the public
path which becomes the main artery for
the development, what BIG1
describes as a
‘social condenser; a path where people can
leisurely shop, have informal gatherings,
go jogging, or take walks after dinner’.
Further, the development encourages
social interaction by only fitting units with
basic functions, reinforcing the need to visit
the array of amenity spaces provided and
building a sense of community.
1 BIG – Bjarke Ingels
Group
Hualien Wellness
and Residential
Development
Taiwan

08TREND
09TREND
10TREND
City For All Ages
— Singapore
Similarly, the ‘City For All Ages’ program
was a Singaporean government initiative
focusing on connecting the elderly with
their surrounding environment. The initiative
looked to improve the way elderly people
live in the city, by reviewing how the urban
environment could better meet their needs.
Some of the suggested improvements
required only minimal investment and
significantly improved the everyday livability
of the city, including recommendations to
provide better pedestrian access, increase
crossing times at lights and establish local
seniors’ activities.
Importantly, conscious environments can
have lasting positive effects. Reseachers
from the University of Exeter Medical
School1
noted that moving to a greener
urban area can have sustained mental
health gains. According to the research,
residents who lived near natural space had
significantly improved mental health up to
three years after their move away from this
natural environment.
1 University of Exeter
Medical School
Exeter, UK
City For All Ages
Singapore

The place report 2015 | Trend title65 the place report 2015 | Digital Retail 2.065
10TREND
08
Digital Retail 2.0
The continuing
convergence of the
digital and physical retail
economy has reached a
point of true blurring.
No longer are digital
retailers awkward
in the physical world
and physical retailers
cumbersome in the
digital world.

10TREND
Such examples provide customers and the
general public with more reasons to engage
in spaces, to spend and to return. Contrary
to what many feared, digital disruption is
not making physical spaces redundant, it is
in practice making them more tailored and
relevant. There are two main movements
impacting this next generation of digital
retail convergence: traditional retailers
introducing real-time and intuitive user-
driven services, and emerging online
operators challenging the physical
marketplace through an online mindset.
Rebecca Minkoff
The San Francisco Rebecca Minkoff
boutique has partnered with eBay inc.1
to create an engaging and convenient
customer experience which merges online
and physical shopping. The store has a
mirror which functions as an interactive
interface displaying the season range and
style pairings. Customers can digitally
browse and select their desired items
The rapid rise of
complementary digital
technologies is making
it possible to seamlessly
integrate the two.
from the mirror display. Their selection
is received by the store assistants who
proceed to set up a fitting room with the
chosen items.
Fitting rooms are also equipped with
an interactive mirror which displays the
selected items and allows customers to
save a digital record of their visit, call a
store assistant, and populate a ‘cart’ of
items which can be purchased via PayPal2
.
The mirror also has customisable
environmental lighting allowing the
customer to see how their outfit fares
in different scenarios; some include ‘North
Beach Morning’, ‘Golden Gate Sunset’
and ‘Mission After Dark’. This is a customer
consideration which, until now, has not yet
been responded to in a retail scenario.
The Rebecca Minkoff is a highly considered
customer experience which uses digital
technology to not only enhance the
physical experience in store, but also
to anticipate customer considerations
for future physical experiences.
1 eBay inc.
e-commerce
company
2 PayPal
online payments
system
Rebecca Minkoff
San Francisco, US

10TREND
Hointer
— Seattle, US
One of the key areas for convergence is the
direct application of digital technology to
the physical sales environment. The Seattle-
based retail technology company Hointer
is one of the leading proponents of a truly
integrated digital/physical experience.
Established in 2012 by Nadia Shouraboura,
an ex-Amazon supply chain and fulfillment
manager, the organisation is fundamentally
changing the way customers interact
and purchase the product. Already the
organisation has a physical store presence
in the United States (New York City, San
Francisco and Seattle) with another store in
the fast-growing Asian market (Singapore).
However, their business objective is more
focused on licensing the technology to
existing physical retailers, particularly
those in the fashion sector.
An important aspect of Hointer’s model
is that the stores have one-fifth of the
floor space of traditional stores, which
significantly lowers overheads. This is
largely due to the inventory being solidly
packed into storage areas rather than
displayed on shelves. The automation of
the sales and selection process through
a mobile application allows for half the
number of staff, who in turn have more time
to serve customers when the need arises.
The automation allows for customers to
scan items to access peer reviews, product
information and previous purchases. Once
selected, the products are delivered by
robotic technology to the change rooms. As
all items are coded with RFID technology,
items which are not appropriate are simply
dropped through a chute for sorting. The
group estimates that costs for retailers will
be substantially lower, while the sales uplift
is thought to be between 30 and 50 per
cent. As Shouraboura notes, ‘Customers
who come to Hointer end up trying on a
lot more items […] because it’s very fast’.
In addition, there are numerous examples
of e-tailers moving from the online-only
environment to physical spaces, including
US-based Warby Parker1
, Bonobos2
,
Birchbox3
and Etsy4
, along with Australian-
based Shoes of Prey5
.
1 Warby Parker
US Retailer
2 Bonobos
US Retailer
3 Birchbox
US Retailer
4 Etsy
Global Retailer
5 Shoes of Prey
Australian
Retailer
Hointer
Seattle, US

10TREND

10TREND
At the other end of the
spectrum, traditional
physical owners and
operators are capturing
the attention of
tech innovators and
entrepreneurs with
the aim of leveraging
their capability.
Bespoke
At the other end of the spectrum,
traditional physical owners and operators
are capturing the attention of tech
innovators and entrepreneurs with the aim
of leveraging their capability. One such
example, termed ‘Bespoke’, is opening in
Spring 2015 with their San Francisco centre.
Developed by the innovation division of
Westfield Labs1
, Bespoke is described as
a ‘place that provides co-working, event
and technology demo spaces all under
one roof’.
1 Westfield Labs
Digital lab
1 Westfield
Developer

Bespoke
San Francisco
The business believes that with an ‘eye
for retail, and a heart for tech’, they are
well positioned to create a place where
‘fashion runway shows and hackathons
could happen side-by-side’. The space
itself is fully customisable to play host to
the wide range of events that appeal to the
entrepreneurial culture of San Francisco.
Central to supporting collaboration between
users is a co-working space situated next
to the multipurpose function facility. For
prospective retailers, Bespoke creates a
space where retail innovators can test their
products in a unique retail environment with
20 million visitors a year. The purpose-built
space will provide 24-hour access for users
along with a range of amenities, including a
quiet library area, bocce court and climbing
wall. Importantly, the demonstration
space will have large screens, including
a 10-metre-high video wall, and what
Westfield has termed a ‘friction-free
booking system’. For Westfield2
, the
Bespoke initiative comes at a time when
shopping centre owners and developers
are feeling exposed to the effects of
agile online retailers and struggling to
remain relevant with the next generation
of shopper. In providing this space, the
business is seeking to appeal to both
shoppers looking for entertainment and to
retailers who are eager to test prototypes
with their target customers.

10TREND
There are many examples of customer-
centred technology within retail settings,
which aim to enhance the retail experience
and deliver strong financial returns. One of
the key areas for exploration by physical
retailers has focused on extending trading
hours or locations. For savvy retailers,
their primary consideration is how best to
counter the perceived and actual benefits
of their online competitors by offering their
products when and where desired.
Kate Spade Saturday
— New York, US
Launched in 2013 to much acclaim, the
Kate Spade Saturday stores were an
innovative partnership with eBay1
. The four
Manhattan-based shopfronts operated as
24-hour online stores. Through a mounted
touchscreen, customers could order a
product and schedule a one-hour delivery
of this product anywhere in Manhattan. This
approach allows for instant gratification
while not requiring customers to wait at
their homes – the delivery could be directed
to any address, from a cafe to a street
corner. These types of physical and digital
retailer partnerships are set to continue. As
eBay noted, the partnership ‘brings the best
of online shopping into the physical world,
and rolls mobile technology, same-day
delivery, and seamless digital payments into
one end-to-end customer experience’. For
Kate Spade2
, the ability to access the digital
delivery services on offer through eBay was
critical to the success of the initiative.
1 eBay
e-commerce
company
2 Kate Spade
Fashion House

Kate Spade Saturday
New York, US

10TREND
For other physical
retailers, the question
of delivery (access
and timing) has led
to the creation of
some unexpected
partnerships.
In June 2014, Sydney gelato retailer Gelato
Messina1
teamed up with Uber2
to provide
logistic support for a one-day promotion
which encouraged new customers of the
Uber service to download the application
to claim a free ice-cream delivery after
entering the codeword ‘ice-cream’.
Uber Corner Store
— Washington DC, US
In the United States, the ride-share service
has launched ‘Uber Corner Store’ in limited
areas of Washington DC. The on-demand
product delivery service provides users
with the opportunity to order from the
most popular 100 convenience store items,
such as allergy medicine, nappies and
toothpaste, through the Uber application.
It is expected that following a trial period,
Corner Store will be rolled out to further
locations in the United States and beyond.
Deliv
— Online, US
Also in the United States, Deliv is a
crowdsourced delivery service used by
retailers such as Williams-Sonoma3
and a
growing number of shopping centres owned
by companies, including General Growth
Properties4
and Simon Property Group5
.
The service operates by offering shoppers
within a certain distance of the centre to
have their purchase delivered the same day.
The service covers all purchases: online
and in-store. In some instances, such as at
Chicago’s Water Tower Place6
, the Deliv
service was free (waiving the typical $5
fee) for an initial introductory period, as the
owner, General Growth, wanted to acquaint
shoppers with the service.
1 Gelato Messina
gelato retailer
2 Uber
transportation
network
3 Williams-Sonoma
Retail Company
4 General Growth
Properties
real estate
investment trust
5 Simon Property Group
commercial real
estate
6 Chicago’s Water
Tower Place
Shopping Centre

Uber Corner Store
Washington DC, US
Deliv
Online, US

10TREND
Food, one of the
most time-sensitive
commodities, is also
receiving the digital
retail 2.0 treatment.
Dine-on-time
— US
Dine-on-time (US) and Eat-on-time
(Australia), an initiative developed by
Westfield Labs1
, links food retailers with
delivery services. However, the future
of this movement could apply a dynamic
pricing structure to the service, either
through constraining supply, such as Table
82
restaurant in San Francisco, which opens
reservations at popular restaurants just
days in advance; SeatMe3
(US), which allows
restaurants to notify diners if tables open up
at the last minute; or Resy4
(US), a service
that places a price premium on reservations
for tables at peak times.
However, the next generation of digital
retail is not only advantageous for tech-
savvy retail start-ups. For large-scale
urban precincts and cities, there are also
opportunities in this new digital world
as two newly launched progressive
services demonstrate.
1 Westfield Labs
Digital lab
2 Table 8
reservation
service
3 SeatMe
reservation
service
4 Resy
Reservation app
5 The Bold Italic
Online magazine
Dine-on-time and
Eat-on-time
Online, US and
Australia
Posse
Online, US
Posse
— Online
Described as ‘Pinterest meets Facebook
meets Trip Advisor’, Posse is a highly
visual word-of-mouth travel advice site,
driven and resourced solely by users of
the service. The service provides location-
specific recommendations from friends
and allows users to create itineraries for
places they would like to visit in the future.
One of the most interesting features of
the service is the ability for users to create
their own street or neighbourhood – linking
previously disparate locations together as
one holistic offer.
Similar online services, such as San
Francisco-based The Bold Italic5
, provide
curated location-specific information
on nearby retailers and operators to an
increasingly localised audience.
Extending beyond the typical events
guide, the information and reviews are
tailored for neighbourhoods, or what The
Bold Italic calls ‘micro-hoods’. Each of the
locations has a network of retailers and
operators who participate in annual events
that activate the immediate area through
one-off offers and promotions.

The place report 2015 | Trend title73 the place report 2015 | Smart Cities73
10TREND
09
Smart Cities
Cities are increasingly
collecting data about the
vital signs of a city to
help decide how to place
resources and respond
to issues.

10TREND
While this approach has
been taken for at least
the past decade, the
real development in this
area is in the application
of information, with
massive amounts of
data being used for the
optimisation of urban
services, not solely for
sensing variables.
The collection of urban data had been
fundamental in informing the possibilities
of sensor technology and the power of the
analytics. Attention is now turning to the
commercialisation of the technology and
analytics through the creation of digitally
enhanced urban services. Whether these
are offered by the municipality or by
private third parties, the realm of service
provision in our cities has expanded and the
commercial applications are clearly evident.
Kashiwa-no-ha ‘Smart City’
— Kashiwanoha, Japan
Often the easiest way of creating and
testing intelligent-city technologies is within
the fixed confines of a city itself. Kashiwa-
no-ha Smart City1
, located outside Tokyo, is
one such example. It is a leading intelligent-
city business project which aims to solve
global problems present in large-scale
urban development.
In Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City, the views of
residents are taken into consideration to
establish a safe and sustainable city.
These views are then applied to various
public infrastructure systems and facilitated
by a social systems coordinator (SSC) who
acts as a conduit between city managers
and residents. While understanding the
state of the infrastructure and providing
operational support, the SSC also offers
practical advice for optimal use. In this
way, the SSC plays an important role in
maintaining the ideal balance between
effective community management and
resident satisfaction while operating
urban and service infrastructures.
Kashiwa-no-ha
Kashiwanoha,
Japan

10TREND
New Urban Mechanics
— Boston, US
Globally, a number of cities are encouraging
input from consumers, occupants and
residents to inform the operation of their
urban systems. In Boston, the ‘New Urban
Mechanics’ initiative, managed by the
Mayor’s Office, has been operating since
2010. The program focuses on small-scale
improvements that exploit technology and
data, aiming to pull people into a practice
it calls ‘participatory urbanism’. One of the
first projects, Citizens Connect1
, is a digital
hotline that allows people to use their
phones to notify City Hall of instances of
rubbish, vandalism and service problems.
Since these early initiatives, the city has
implemented ‘City Worker’, which helps
municipal employees track their daily tasks
and report progress to management and
to their fellow citizens. In another imitative
they have developed an application
‘Street Bump’, which identifies potholes
with sensors and passes this information
onto the city. Some of the future pilot
programs which may be rolled out across
the city include testing mobile parking
ticket payments, smart parking meters and
sensors in streets that would alert drivers
to available parking spaces.
Array of Things
— Chicago, US
Similarly, Chicago has embraced the
benefits of partnership, this time from
academic institutions and NGOs. The
University of Chicago2
, School of the Art
Institute of Chicago3
and Argonne National
Laboratory4
will managing a network of
50 sensor nodes installed on lampposts.
The project is part of the ‘Array of Things’
initiative, a collaborative endeavour which
aims to gather behavioural data on how
Chicago functions at various levels. The
data gathered will support, design and
manage the city. In due course, the team
hopes to widen the scale of the system to
more than 1000 sensors, which will cover
the entire downtown area.
1 Citizens Connect
Digital hotline
2 University of Chicago
Research
university
3 School of the Art
Institute of Chicago
design school
4 Argonne National
Laboratory
research
laboratory
New Urban
Mechanics
Boston, US
Array of Things
Chicago, US

Place_Report_2015

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (7)

Similar to Place_Report_2015

Similar to Place_Report_2015 (20)

Place_Report_2015