Future Street: example to the rest of the world

The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA), Smart Cities Council Australia and New Zealand (SCCANZ) and Internet of Things Alliance Australia (IoTAA) has today released the Future Street position statement and video summary calling on government at all levels to embrace our streets as important public spaces using the principles of the installation that was part of the 2017 International Festival of Landscape Architecture.

Future Street was a public activation, demonstrating the design concepts and technology for our future public spaces. Transforming a prominent Sydney street and reclaiming it for the people of the city, Future Street sparked ideas about how these spaces could be different and what that means for the community.

Click here to watch the Future Street come to life and the impact it had on those who visited.

“The release of the summary video and position statement are a reminder of the impact that the installation had on the community” SCCANZ Executive Officer, Adam Beck, said.

“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.

AILA CEO, Tim Arnold highlighted the importance of ensuring the message from the four-day installation continues.

“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.”

Future Street tests the possibilities, of what is possible if we dedicate less of our public spaces to cars and return them for people to use. Both for new and different mobility options, but also to live and enjoy our cities and streets.

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

AILA, IoTAA and SCCANZ advocate for:

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

Read the full position statement here.

The release of the Position Statement comes on the same day that World Architecture News (WAN) recognised the installation and the work of design partner, Place Design Group, as the winner of the 2018 Urban Challenge.

Seeking to address the reclamation of our cities due to the predicted demise of the combustion engine and the rise of the autonomous vehicle, the 2018 WAN Urban Challenge has launched Future Street onto the global stage.

Speaking on behalf of the judging panel, highly respected Urban Planner and Urban Designer at Allies and Morrison (London), Peter Bishop, commended the ‘pop-up’ scheme and felt it had the edge over other submissions in the Awards program. “They’ve actually done it. And a city like Sydney desperately needs it.”

“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,” Mr Isles said.

Contact

Australian Institute of Landscape Architects

E.[email protected]

M. +61 (0)419 109 340

Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand

E. [email protected]

M. +61 (0)422 496 043

IoTAA

E. [email protected]

Future Street Partners

Future Street 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).

Future Street’s principal sponsor was the Australian Government, with funding through the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Cities Division. The 12 exhibiting companies also sponsored the project.

Place Design Group was the Design Partner for Future Street, working on all the design concepts through to construction.

Landscape Solutions was the construction partner for Future Street, helping create and remove Future Street.

The City of Sydney provided the activation space in Alfred Street in kind to the project.

WE-EF provided and lead the creating of the Future Street Video.