Norway's design company Snøhetta has been selected to design a car-free Times Square for the Times Square Redevelopment Project. We all know that New York City's infamous city square is filled with over-stimulation. In Snøhetta's designs, the ads don't disappear, but the cars do.
The Times Square makeover involves adding more furniture, and Molly Dilworth's pour painting to create an area that is more enjoyable for all of New York City's citizens and tourists.
Implications - The goal of Norway's Snohetta Designs is to improve the environment, the atmosphere, and the quality of one of the world's most famous tourist attractions. If that isn't noble, I don't know what is.
Pedestrian-Only City Centers
Norway's Snohetta Designs a Car-Free Times Square
Trend Themes
1. Car-free City Centers - The design of car-free city centers represents an opportunity for companies to create new infrastructures and services that cater to pedestrian activity rather than vehicular movement.
2. Smart Urban Design - With urban spaces becoming more and more crowded, there is a need for companies to innovate the next frontier: smart urban design and planning, to accommodate the needs of more people without sacrificing quality of life.
3. Mixed-use Public Spaces - Mixed-use public spaces are a trend that highlights the growing intersection between public and private, and present a promising investment avenue for those looking to contribute to the urban ecosystem through innovative design and placemaking.
Industry Implications
1. Urban Planning - The need for smart and efficient usage of land will require urban planners and architects to rethink the traditional city planning model, and embrace sustainable and creative urban design solutions.
2. Mobility Services - The trend towards car-free city centers presents an opportunity for mobility services companies to offer new products and solutions to cater to alternative modes of transportation, such as bicycles and electric scooters.
3. Out-of-home Advertising - As design companies seek to create more engaging and enjoyable public spaces, out-of-home advertising companies will need to adapt their business models to ensure their advertisements complement, rather than detract from, the ambiance of these shared spaces.