The 30 feet high and 1,5 mile long High Line was build in 1930 for transport by freight trains between warehouses and factories in the New York Meat Packing district of Manhattan. Not being used since 1980 property owner lobbied for its demolition, but neighborhood residents advocated for the High Line’s preservation and reuse as public open space. In 2003 an open ideas competition, ”Designing the High Line”, solicited proposals for the High Line’s reuse. 720 teams from 36 countries entered. In June 2009 Section 1 (Gansevoort Street to 20th Street) opened to the public.
The city is rapidly becoming the human being’s natural habitat. The city’s pollution, disorder and anonymity however are points that people all over the world complain about. Many of us have however learned to love our city regardless. It is our city, so robust, so hectic, so fascinating, and after 9/11 so fragile as well. There is a loving concern for the city. Throughout the findings of our cool hunters and Trend Filters an affectual connection to the urban dwelling was noted. The city has become the place where we live our lives and meet the people who become our extended families. Where we find our favorite coffee corners or bagel shops tucked away in the neighborhoods we have gotten to know like the back of our hands over the years. We appreciate the city. (Click on Read Why it is Cool for more)
-Cool Unobtrusive Eco Awareness-
In case you may not have noticed: our environment is currently experiencing some technical difficulties. It’s all over the news and sometimes you can feel it on your own skin. Everywhere people are telling us: “the weather in my city is not what it used to be.” Whether we like it or not, we have to adapt our lifestyle and that will not always be fun. Generally speaking, we don’t consider the eco prophets of doom very cool. But at the same time, we surely cannot shield ourselves from what they have been telling us for decades now. We’d better adapt or be left trying to convince ourselves that it’s not true as the world gradually becomes a less hospitable place. (Click on Read Why It’s Cool for more)
Think natural materials (often organically produced), loose silhouettes and earth toned colours. Environment friendly produced fashion reaches in 2010 the level where it becomes stylish. Brands like Kohzo denim, Howies, and Kuyichi are (all in different ways) just as sexy as their lesser conscious competitors. The last hurdle these New Eco labels have to take in order to truly reach the masses, is that they have to work on True Transparency. Just claiming environmentally friendliness is not enough. You have to tell where the clothing ingredients come from and how they are produced. This is not only a positioning necessity but could be seen as the heart of a new lifestyle: Honest, true and connected to the best of nature & the land. In real life ‘urban farming’ is one of the most outstanding manifestations of this trend, being self-sustaining and gaining control back over our food production is ‘folkish’ but in fashion too. It all stimulates cool stories – for the right brands to tap in to. The New Eco never looked so good!
It is bike concept for 2030, winning London’s Future City Mobility Contest this year. It is a bike that stores energy when you pedal it. When you do not want to pedal anymore the stored energy will transform your bike into an electric scooter. Until you want to use the pedals again. Additional idea: the energy you have stored with your bike will entitle you for free public transport if you choose to do so later on.
By Thanh Nguyen, from The IBMS Coolhunt ‘09: In most of the Asian countries, they use chopsticks in order to eat. Because of the production of disposable chopsticks, lots of trees are being cut. So Triumph international (manufacturer of women lingerie) has invented My Hashi (My chopsticks bra in Japanese) as a response for the Japanese women. It has collapsible chopsticks as a promotion tool to produce less disposable chopsticks.
By Rick de Roo, Tio Coolhunt: The Single House offers modern domestic living space. It is supported by one central mast. Therefore you can build it everywhere.
You can also pack the roof with solar panels or a wind turbine generator to make a fully self sustaining unit.
By Ana Sofia Vaz Pinto de Jesus, from Lisboa Coolhunt ‘09: In the main centre of Lisbon – Chiado – there’s a new store were we can buy CD’s, DVD’s, house stuffs and accessories, having a zen tea, eating a biological or veggie meal, or even walk on the interior garden. A little paradise in one of the most traditional and full streets in Lisbon. Infinito Fabrico‘s slogan is based on the diversity: in nature nothing is equal, nothing repeats. One unique moment in an unique store.
By Dana van Beersum, from Tio Coolhunt ‘08: stoerevrouwen.nl (‘stoere vrouwen’ means ‘tough women’ in Dutch) is a website for women who love shopping, but want to do this in a responsible way. At this website you can find all kinds of cool and responsible (!) gadgets, products and stores. You can become a member and contact other women in your region. Together you can organize events to create awareness for the environment.
By Dragan Saldziev, from Skopje Coolhunt ‘09: How much of a letter can be removed while maintaining readability? After extensive testing with all kinds of shapes, the best results were achieved using small circles. After lots of late hours (and coffee) this resulted in a font that uses up to 20% less ink!
From The Skopje Coolhunt ‘09: In today’s economy we have to cut costs where we can. We are all aware of the global recession and it is affecting every part of our lives. Our pets are also important and feeding them is no exception. This is a cool product that is easy to use and you and your tweety have fun at the same time. Both of you are winners, the bird is not starving anymore, and you saved your money!
This is a small piece of inspiration for the Eurasian student Top-25 we are creating due to all the coolhunts that have been done lately. We will start publishing on the 3rd of August, mark it in your agenda!
The Repair Manifesto by Platform 21 is making worldwide waves with its convincing and practical appeal to all designers to take position against overconsumption. Whatever fashionable and lucrative overconsumption might be, the world need something else. Repair above recycling! Some quotes from the manifesto: Things should be designed so that they can be repaired. Repair is not replacement. Repair survives fashion. To repair is to discover. Repaired things are unique. Repairing is about independence. Repair – also in good times! For the whole manifesto and Marco Bevolo’s longer comment click here.
SUSTAINABILITY
More than 130,000 subscribers, 300 new users each day, about 30,000 trips per day and more than 18 million kilometres, such data are spectacular “Bicing”, public service bicycles that the City Council of Barcelona started there are just one year. Currently, Barcelona has the opportunity to take advantage of some 130 kilometres of urban cycle through 300 stations and more than 4000 bikes public service. All for 24 euros per year.
Little by little, the red and white bike took its place among the symbols of public transport in Barcelona: taxis (yellow like those of New York), subway and buses.
Carrotmob is a Web 2.0-empowered, open community that promotes social responsibility in a clever fun way. Initiated in California they invite company’s of all kinds – though the most illustrative examples come from retail shops – to behave more social responsible and environmental friendly. The process is guided by the Carrot-mob coaches. If things have worked out fine as a reward – the carrot – www.carrotmob.org invites all their members to go shopping and eating at the now more responsible and environmentally and sane place. Because the carrot mob is often big they can negotiate a better price at the same time.
Xerox introduces Ink that uses ultraviolet light and regular surrounding heat to vanish. By using this ink you can recycle the paper as many as 30 times. As soon as the printing is finished, special molecules begin reacting to the warmth in the surrounding air and gradually let the ink disappear. The technology, which will not be commercially available for several years, will reduce the amount of energy required to print a single page by a factor of 200.
Contact: Carl Rohde, +31 621 243 114, Tilburg, Netherlands (GMT +1)
Contact: Vincent Albers , +31 623 046 643, Amsterdam (GMT +1)
Contact: Ingeborg Bruinewoud , Utrecht (GMT +1)
