Matthew Gibb's Edmonton Freezeway could significantly change how people in one of Canada's coldest cities experience winter. Gibb's design is a seven-mile path that allows people to ice skate or sled around the city during winter. The idea is to get people out of their homes and to create something more functional than an ice skating rink. Gibb actually entered his idea in a 2013 design contest but a pilot version of the Edmonton Freezeway is expected to be implemented in 2016.
The Edmonton Freezeway would have rubber sections where cars and pedestrians could cross, ensuring non-skating traffic still flows freely. The designer imagines the frozen path being created in one of three ways: refrigeration, naturally or using a big block of ice.
Frozen Walkway Concepts
The Edmonton Freezeway is Designed to Get People Moving During Winter
Trend Themes
1. Functional Ice Paths - The idea of creating functional ice paths for winter travel could be applied in other cold cities, offering new transportation options and opening up possibilities in architecture and urban design.
2. Refrigeration Innovation - New refrigeration technologies that could be implemented in the creation of ice paths may offer new opportunities for energy-efficient and sustainable cooling systems.
3. Winter Leisure Trends - Creating new and interesting winter leisure options for residents in cold climates may offer lucrative opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses seeking to capitalize on the seasonal demand for frosty fun.
Industry Implications
1. Urban Planning - The design of functional ice paths offers an exciting opportunity for urban planners and architects to rethink how people move through cities during the winter season.
2. Recreation and Entertainment - Creating new winter leisure options for residents opens up opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses seeking to capitalize on the seasonal demand for frosty fun.
3. Refrigeration Engineering - The implementation of large-scale, sustainable cooling systems in the creation of ice paths may offer opportunities for innovation and advances in refrigeration engineering.