culture and entertainment

A wide range of products are constantly being developed to help us live ‘smarter’. In order to help consumers understand how these products work, IKEA in Amsterdam Zuidoost is working on a concept for a demonstration house. This house will be packed with smart products developed by IKEA, and potentially by other parties such as Liander and Waternet. These smart products are primarily focused on the fields of water, energy and waste. The demonstration house will introduce the smart products to the approximate 3,000,000 people who visit IKEA every year.

The Sargfabrik is much more than a housing model— it’s a way of life. Along with the luxurious roof garden, a range of common areas creates a landscape of communication and pleasure, with a cultural house, restaurant, kindergarten, and twenty-four-hour bathhouse that is also publically accessible. Parking spaces for cars were kept to a minimum in order to make room for the swimming area, and only by designating the building a “residence hall” could public funding be secured.

The plant-covered roof and partially wooden structure all help to create a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere. The Digital Harbour includes a free WiFi connection, recharging points for electronic devices, and the opportunity to use all the applications included in the City Box. The swivel seats are equipped with tabletops designed for laptop computers, enabling users to work solo or to interact with others.

It represents the intelligent bus shelter of the future, combining unprecedented levels of comfort (a wider bench and roof, improved access and a glazed roof that provides lighting at night and filters the sun’s rays during the day) along with innovative features such as a free WiFi connection, and mobile phone charging points. The bus shelter allows the public to find out more about Paris and the local area via a 72-inch screen displaying high-quality historic photos.

Giraffe Street Lamp is a very cute self-sustaining swing design that provides illumination at night. It harnesses kinetic energy each time you swing and as a double back up, utilizes the solar panel hood to soak some more energy goodness. It’s a very clever design that interweaves play and eco sense into the urban environment. Something that our future generation may as well get used to!

Forum Virium Helsinki is an innovation unit within the Helsinki City organization. It develops new digital services in cooperation with companies, other City of Helsinki units and residents. Our objective is to build better city services, create new business opportunities as well as open up new contacts for international markets. Forum Virium Helsinki’s development projects drive the creation of digital city services. From the very start, ideas under development are tested as part of users’ everyday lives. Another goal is to create new business opportunities for companies.

The Amsterdam district of Zuidoost (Southeast) is 22 km2 and is home to approximately 80,000 residents. Zuidoost is a remarkably green neighbourhood with the massive lake Gaasperplas and its surrounding forest as its centrepiece. There are also many other parks, sport parks, private garden allotments and a golf course. The urban core is centred on the Ajax ArenA football stadium, Amsterdam Poort and the newly-built Bijlmer train station which together has developed into a major shopping and entertainment zone complete with cinemas and concert halls.

The Heart of Budapest Program aims to strengthen the cultural commercial and administrative role of the historical city center. Instead of insular urban rehabilitation initiatives which have seen lately the Program manages the downtown developments as a whole.