FUTURE STREETS MOVING FORWARD

The Future Street installation was a collaboration between three organisations: the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA), the Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand (SCCANZ) and the Internet of Things Alliance Australia (IOTAA). Place Design Group was the design partner, while Landscape Solutions was the construction partner.

The four-day Future Street project brought to life the idea of activating public space, utilising innovative design and technology to create spaces that “live” with the people. A prominent Sydney street was transformed and “reclaimed”, calling for the people to consider how these spaces could be used in unique ways and how that could impact the community.

SCCANZ Executive Officer, Adam Beck, stated, “The release of the summary video and position statement are a reminder of the impact that the installation had on the community. Designing streets that are greener, more complete and smarter had a tremendous response from the tens of thousands of people who visited and walked through the installation.”

Tim Arnold, the CEO of AILA, explained the concept and message from the Future Street project, “Alfred Street was reinvigorated and changed the way that people used the street and provided them with education on technologies of the future.

“The fantastic work the installations design partner, Place Design Group, represented the important role that landscape architects play in leading the built environment in collaboration with other allied professionals to make streets greener, more inclusive and integrated with the latest technologies.”

The Future Street installation demonstrates how public spaces could be transformed if the spaces become more dedicated to people, rather than cars – creating a place for people to actually live and enjoy the cities and streets.

“Future Street explores playful and interactive ways technology can engage citizens, activate places and inform city policy and urban planning,” stated IoT Alliance Australia CEO, Frank Zeichner. “We should be doing more to discover better ways to make our streets and cities – places to be.”

The position summary by AILA, IoTAA and SCCANZ advocates for the following:

1. Governments to embrace our streets as important public spaces that can generate and produce opportunity for our communities, and not just harm and pollute them
2. Designing and the building of streets to be greener, more complete and smarter
3. Governments amending policy and regulatory requirements to facilitate the design and management of streets in accordance with the Future Street approach

“Future Street is a fantastic case study on what a street from the future could entail, well aligned to the Reclaiming the Streets criteria,” said Place Design Group, Director, Chris Isles. “Place Design Group was proud to be part of this project, as to us it represents the start of a larger narrative and movement that critically involves all built environment professionals, particularly landscape architects, to reclaim our streets and to challenge the long-held grasp that cars and car dominance have had upon them, ensuring the future of our streets is greener, more complete and smarter.”

Click here to read the full position statement