In December 2012, the City of New York launched the “Reinvent Payphones Design Challenge” to imagine the future of its 11,000 public phones network. Even though the use of payphones has significantly decreased with the emergence of cellphones, this piece of street furniture can still evolve and propose new services. It also demonstrated its usefulness when Hurricane Sandy disrupted telecommunications services in the city last October. Among the 125 submissions for this challenge, special emphasis was placed on connectivity and digital signage. Six finalist projects were selected by a jury in five different categories: connectivity, creativity, visual design, functionality and community impact. The public could also vote on Facebook for the “Popular Choice Award” and finally chose the “NYFi” project, designed by Sage & Coombe Architects.
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See also on Mobility&Trends
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Phone booths are the ultimate canvas for unbridled creativity |
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Spotted on the Web
NYC Is Turning Payphones Into Wi-Fi Hotspots (Mashable)
After Sandy, Wired New Yorkers Get Reconnected With Pay Phones (The Wall Street Journal)
New York Pay Phones as Time Machines: A Perfect Metaphor (The Atlantic Cities)