‘Streetmix’ is a website that allows users to virtually build and improve the appearance of a street-front. Urban planners and design enthusiasts will love the challenge of trying to fit an abundance of activities and services all within the span of two buildings. This distance can be changed for even more of a challenge, to mimic skinny lane ways. Working around these parameters is difficult, but figuring out just the right widths for roads, bike lanes and sidewalks could prove to be a fun challenge.
Street names can be customized and even made to look like the streets in your own neighborhood. This is a project by ‘Code for America 2013,’ aimed at collecting ideas for infrastructure improvements and ideal streetscapes created by users, which are then shared on the Streetmix blog.
Streetscape-Modeling Sites
The ‘Streetmix’ Site Allows Users to Make Virtual Streets
Trend Themes
1. Virtual Street Design - Opportunity to create virtual streetscapes and experiment with different design elements.
2. Collaborative Urban Planning - Opportunity for users to share their ideas for infrastructure improvements and ideal streetscapes.
3. Customizable Streetscapes - Opportunity to customize street names and recreate familiar neighborhoods.
Industry Implications
1. Urban Planning - Disruptive innovation opportunity for urban planners to utilize virtual street design to experiment with new ideas.
2. Design and Architecture - Disruptive innovation opportunity for design enthusiasts to explore and improve streetscape aesthetics.
3. Technology and Software Development - Disruptive innovation opportunity to develop user-friendly platforms for collaborative urban planning and virtual street design.