New York City is on a mission to build a better payphone for the digital age.Ā
A few months ago, NYC MayorĀ Michael BloombergĀ launched a design challenge with the Reinvent Payphones initiative. The goal: Crowdsource ways to revitalize and upgrade the city's 11,000 pay phones.Ā
Last night,Ā the city announced the six winning prototypes.Ā Some of the submissions imagined pay phone kiosks with air pollution sensors, solar-powered cell phone chargers, and screens controlled by hand gestures and voice commands.Ā
The city judged the prototypes based on connectivity, creativity, visual design, functionality, and community impact.Ā
New York City's contracts for its pay phones expire in October 2014.Ā The winners of the Reinvent Payphone Design Challenge aren't guaranteed contracts, but the city will take those designs into consideration when determining what to do with New York's pay phones.Ā
Already, theĀ city has converted some payphones into Wi-Fi hotspots. And in November 2012, it replaced 10 booths in Union Square with touchscreens for maps, public service announcements, and entertainment listings.Ā
(http://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-citys-payphones-of-the-future-2013-3)
Related Stories
| Feb 26, 2012
Milwaukee U-Haul facility receives LEED-CI Silver
The new elements of the facility now include: efficient lighting with day-lighting controls and occupancy sensors, a high-efficiency HVAC system used in conjunction with a newly constructed thermal envelope to help reduce energy consumption, and the installation of low-flow fixtures to reduce water consumption.
| Feb 26, 2012
Hollister Construction awarded 42,000-sf office fit-out in Holtsville, N.Y.
Space leased by U.S. General Service Administration.
| Feb 26, 2012
Alvarez-Glasman & Colvinās Chen LEED certified
Chen works closely with property owners to ensure that their properties meet and exceed all industry standards, and also provide long-term energy savings.
| Feb 24, 2012
ABI remains positive for three straight months
The AIA reported the January ABI score was 50.9, following a mark of 51.0 in December.
| Feb 24, 2012
Larry Lord joins HDR Architecture as south region science and technology director
A founding partner at Lord, Aeck & Sargent, Lord is nationally renowned for his leadership in architecture for complex projects.
| Feb 24, 2012
Pottorff elevated to principal at Ricci Greene Associates
Pottorff is recognized in the justice field as an expert solely dedicated to the design and planning of courts and urban jails in both the U.S. and Canada.
| Feb 24, 2012
Skanska hires Tingle as senior VP and national director for its Sports Center of Excellence
Tingle has worked in the architecture and construction industries for more than 30 years, and for the last 23 years, he has focused primarily on large-scale sports construction projects
| Feb 23, 2012
Federal budget cuts put major building projects on hold
A plan to build the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Kansas is among several major building projects in jeopardy after the Obama administrationās 2013 budget was unveiled. The budget would cut all construction spending for the facility.