2011 March | InnovCity

Archive for March 2011

EasyLi, technologies that store energy for urban use

by Elsa Sidawy | 03.30.11

Easyli, finalist of the last Grand Prix for Innovation of the City of Paris in the eco-innovation class, has since the beginning of this year offered a range of storage choices for urban use with an innovative approach.

PocketCity: mobile-free NFC at the service of urban tourists

Tourism | No comments

by Elsa Sidawy | 03.29.11

NFC (Near Field Communication) phones are not common yet despite the enthusiasm of telecommunications companies and the conclusive tests made in certain pioneer cities. Olivier Levy, CEO of StrapMedia, has, for his part, anticipated usages by developing the PocketCity platform, which enables to gather various tourist-oriented services into one NFC media.

Citytak, signage adapted to people with disabilities

Social | No comments

by Adrien Geneste | 03.28.11

Seamless, easy movement in urban areas and public places for everyone: this is the goal of Citytak, a young company specializing in signage adapted to people with disabilities.

Eric Guez

Innovator

CEO | SBM

« A solid wood system brings timber to the city »

Wind turbine wins first prize in an international architecture competition

Environment | No comments

by Elsa Sidawy | 03.25.11

The American architecture and design magazine eVolo designated the French workshop CMJN winner of its annual skyscraper design competition.

Ubi Park, an RFID-secured bicycle shed

Transportation | No comments

by Xavier Cadeau | 03.25.11

More and more public or private building construction companies are compelled to take cycling into account and provide users with a secured shelter for their bikes. SenseYou is one of them but its approach is finally quite different, not only because it uses new technologies but also because it takes into account the human aspect of things.

La Gaité Lyrique, an architectural innovation in the service of digital culture

Culture | No comments

Le Moniteur | 03.24.11 | Quick Read

Since 1991, the theatre La Gaité Lyrique sat like a ghost house in the heart of Paris’ third arrondissement. Since March 2, 2011, the place has been transformed into a modern public institution dedicated to digital art and contemporary music led by architect Manuelle Gautrand who took over the keys to the theater in 2001.

Free Wifi access in Tokyo taxis

Transportation | 2 comments

by Elsa Sidawy | 03.24.11

The Japanese mobile operator DoCoMo has equipped 820 taxis in the Japanese capital with wifi, 100 of those boasting Sony PSP consuls.

Open data encourages local authorities to collaborate with citizens

Social | No comments

by Elsa Sidawy | 03.22.11

On Thursday 17th March, the World e.gov Forum, RSLN (Regards Sur le Numérique: visions of digital technology) and Microsoft France organised a debate-conference on open data: “Open data, what about us?”. Experts, elected representatives and various thought agitators took the floor one after the other to try and answer the questions legitimately raised by this phenomenon, which affects small local authorities as much as States throughout the world.

Catherine Wable

Innovator

Co-founder | Brainbox & Company

« Odimo, the console that keeps the visually impaired engaged »

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China may be coveting the German system of suspended monorail

Transportation | Abair Heart | Il y a 75 jours et 16 heures

The Babayagas’ house, an alternative to old people’s homes and home care

Social | Janet Bardon | Il y a 90 jours et 19 heures

The Babayagas’ house, an alternative to old people’s homes and home care

Social | Michael Hawley | Il y a 93 jours et 17 heures

China may be coveting the German system of suspended monorail

Transportation | Ted Langs Sr. | Il y a 146 jours et 22 heures

Navigating the past and present with one’s body as the only tool

Education | John | Il y a 243 jours et 0 heures

Smart street furniture in Paris: the winners of the call for projects are finally unveiled

Urbanism | 1 comment

A poetic exhibition looks at the city’s place in comic strips

Culture | No comments

Cultural short breaks on board a 2CV soon in your city?

Tourism | 2 comments

Feedback

For sure if we aim to change our habits, urban areas have to be equipped in such a way the citizen don't feel like constrained in their everyday life.

John F. sur Electric car charging stations: DBT aims 25% of the French market | 1 comment

Web TV

15.07.11 | Urban Music Game’s enhanced ball

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Expert talk

Robert Spizzichino | Partenaires Développement

Greater Geneva: an economic and social project at the heart of innovation

Urbanism | 12.16.11

The Greater Geneva project represents an economic and social challenge for that area spanning France and Switzerland. The aim is to set in motion again a process that will stimulate job creation in the French part and strengthen residential services in the Swiss part. Innovative activities should find their place in that territory.

Jean Haëntjens | Urbatopie

Innovation lies also in the strategy

Social | 09.08.11

Is the proliferation of urban innovations counter-productive? While some cities are experimenting with abandon and with no real apparent logic, others have adopted a long-term strategy to combine innovations to serve a smarter, more sustainable city. Jean Haëntjens returns to this forum to talk about how important it is for cities to approach innovation with consistency and control.

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Zoom in

London’s transport system is transformed into a massive playground

And what happens when a public transport network becomes the scene of gigantic team games? Inspired by the principle of Fun Theory, which suggests that environmentally responsible behavior can be encouraged through attractive infrastructure, Chromaroma invites London Underground users to participate in an eco-citizen turf war.

Blogs review

Pop-Up City , the blog of Jeroen Beekmans

Rotterdam’s Crowd-Funded Pedestrian Bridge

Urbanism | 01.05.12

The International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) and Rotterdam-based architecture firm ZUS have launched the project I Make Rotterdam, a spectacular temporary pedestrian bridge between the city’s Central and the North districts that will be financed through crowd-funding.

Quinte & Sens , the blog of Olivier Genevois

In Caracas, mimes ease traffic tension

Education | 11.07.11

Venezuela’s capital Caracas plans to manage its traffic flow in an unusual fashion. In addition to traffic police, 120 mimes dressed up as clowns were sent into the city’s streets. Their role? Curb the risky behavior of pedestrians and drivers, not by force or repression, but through silence.

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Agenda Innov'in The City

May 9 to 11
Energy Cities annual meeting, Guimarães, Portugal.

May 12
International Workshop on Open Data, Nantes, France.

May 12
Stockholm Summit on Service Innovation in Cities, Stockholm, Suède.

Innovative city zoom

Toulouse has tackled issues ranging from urban lighting to public cleanliness with experimental innovation often on a shoestring budget, but the results continue to inspire many other cities in France and worldwide. A portrait of a city embracing urban innovation, helped along by the enthusiastic investigator Alexander Marciel, follows.

InnovCity