WISH YOU WERW HERE POP-UP SHOPS
NIKE LIVESTRONG CHALKBOT
3o independent boutiques from the legendary neighbourhoods of Lower East Side, NY, and the heart of Carnaby in London, are swapping cultures in a truly transatlantic experience. During September and October, ‘pop-up’ shops of fashion and lifestyle elements, from designers unique to their home city, will exchange places. Right now visitors to Carnaby St, for example, will be welcomed by a truly New York experience, consisting of a street market of NY foods, in-store entertainment, fancy dress, and a ‘guerrilla’ fashion show.
Lance Armstrong’s inspirational Livestrong charity, that gives more than 28 million people the resources and support needed to fight cancer head on, teamed up with Nike at this year’s Tour de France to create the ‘Chalkbot’. Chalkbot is an automated, pneumatic robot that prints welcoming messages of hope and encouragement in washable chalk, all along the surface of the race road. The messages are texted or emailed from people around the World, and on its opening trip the Chalkbot received nearly 100,000.
The idea of fixing multiple camera/projectors to the limbs of two boys creating a large scale pixelation of their body movements was the puppet like campaign to promote Nikon's new digital camera/projector Coolpix 1000pj. Nikon's innovative use of camera and projection opens up a new portable and public medium for sharing photos live with others in physical space.
S IN EUROPE 4,100 KISSE
WELCOMING FURNITURE “We are a family” is a hybrid between a sofa and a bed with a very simple design: it is made of a bamboo structure that contains six mattresses which can be used as beds; but the peculiarity of this piece of furniture is not the shape but the idea of conviviality and welcome, it represents the perfect accommodation for unpretentious friends who want to share the experience of being your guest!
The 'Ogori' cafe in Kashiwa Japan, holds a surprise in store for its patrons. In a nutshell, you get what the person before you ordered, and the next person gets what you ordered. Thus, if you’re in on the game, you can choose to be either a generous benefactor, and treat those that come after you – or try your luck at being cheap. Either way, it’s an interesting experiment that explores a surprising welcome encouraging kindness and interaction.
A chinese girl Yang Yaqing, who is an art student in Paris, is holding an event which is asking for 100 kisses from men in France and publishing it on her blogs. All those men she met on the street, in the bars, on the bus, no matter who they are, older, younger, white or black, workers or tourists, she came to ask for a kiss gently and kindly, and took photos. They are still doing this event until they collect 100 kisses. It might not be fresh in Europe, but it's not so acceptable in China. Please, you are welcome to kiss me.
reference: psfk.com/2009/10/ogori-cafe-service-with-a-surprise.html
reference from field source
COPICAT-ING IN CHINA
SURFING SCIENTISTS
Board of your friends, or an't got any? Now you do, with George an online Artifical Intellegence who you can have real time conversations with. It is fun and you can view other conversations had between other uses and george. This technology can also be adopted by organisations as a helpful service in replace of human labour for users requiring answers to their questions.
NG COMI N O I S A S” INV
reference: jabberwacky.com
NOW
“I
What happens if "your status" will invade the streets? "IS"-Social Identity is a way of provoking citizens to a new way of talking, expressing themselves, connecting and getting to know each other. Atilo Navi, a 21years old Brera student, after his first public action in S.Remo, where he posted signs all around the town saying “S.Remo is …” which supposed citizens to fill them up, is now getting ready for one in Milan. He asks people to upload a picture of their selves via a website and write their status on the photo. All of those will be printed out and will invade Milan soon.
“MAPATON” IN ATLANTA Atlanta, US, will soon be the world's most digitally mapped city. The organizers aim to map everything from bike paths to emergency phones and police precincts. 200 volunteers armed with global positioning devices mapping the city. They had about 15-20 mapping stations throughout Atlanta and start by noting all the freeways and motorways, then the main roads, smaller roads and eventually go right down to the footpaths, bars and restaurants. It is really big mapping party. reference: bbc.co.uk
The Greenwatch is a new generation watch based on really outstanding technologies able to perceive ozone and noise level in the streets, send data through Bluetooth to your mobile, and from this directly on the big online Citypulse database. The idea is to map a city through its citizens and work on that data to improve the lifestyle and the quality of life of people living there.
Reef Check is the United Nations official community-based reef monitoring program and have paired up with international surf company Quiksilver, welcoming onboard biologists to travel to remote reefs they would otherwise never have been able to research. This shared goal of preserving the reefs for generations to come, is a motivating example of people unifying towards environmental sustainability. reference: quiksilverfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/2005_annualreport.pdf
WHERE SHALL WE GO TONIGHT?
On the 14th October the newest augmented reality application for iPhones was released, and is tipped for big things! It is free and available for almost every smartphone. In brief, it is the placement of a layer of information on top of the real-view of the world around you, seen through your camera lens. For example, your smartphone can welcome you to a new city; with augmented reality, when glancing around a square you can get up-to-date information on nearby restaurants, banks, transport etc. placed over the view you see through the lens. It can then fetch reviews on the restaurants, as well as contact details. Or, when standing at an intersection, you can hold up your phone and see a picture of that junction 100 years ago. You can filter your search between 1 and 10 km and place it on top of a map to get exact directions. The possibilities are endless; it already has dozens of layers including ones that access Wikipedia, Flickr and Twitter, and will soon be as ‘limited’ as the web. “Augmented reality is going to be huge. It might even be as big as the Web.” – says Layar cofounder Maarten Lens-FitzGerald. Its commercial potential is not just in apps and layers, but also in consumer goods and advertising.
LEAFY BUILDINGS
Design democratico partecipato, + AGA,+ Officine Creative Dergano, + L'amico Charly Onlus organized an event of street games in the Milanese areas of Dergano and Bovisa. It was characterized by multi-cultural inhabitants, integration difficulties, and social problems, and the main idea of the event “Giochiamo” is to use the public space (parks, public association offices, pedestrianized streets) to play old street games, that enable the sharing of cultural and immaterial heritage, even if you speak different language; it is also an occasion to share some experiences and live actively within the neighbourhood.
HARVARD YARD CHAIRS A committee at Harvard University were charged to “create additional social spaces” on campus. In response, last month they placed 476 brightly coloured chairs and 82 tables in the Harvard Yard and Quad. The area is constantly alive with the hustle and bustle of students and staff, as well as hordes of tourists and local dog walkers. “Lots of people would like Harvard Yard to be more of a place to kind of rest, so to speak,” said Mohsen Mostafavi, Dean of the Graduate School of Design and co-chair of the committee. “There’s a lot of movement, and people were keen to find ways to basically slow down the traffic.” The experiment proved a success at fostering community and this year’s freshers, who typically live in the buildings around The Yard, found it particularly welcoming. The chairs also proved increasingly useful in creating community spirit when at the beginning of the month a group of people organized a surprise game of musical chairs via flash-mob, that involved hundreds of people.
HAVE IPhone RENT A CAR
reference from field source, light-box-it
Zipcar, an American car-rental company, offer though the Rfid technology applied on the iPhone, the possibility to make a reservation at the Zipcar website or with the iPhone application, to unlock the car just pressing a button on the iPhone app and enable the starter (keys are inside). The iPhone can even make the horn beep to help locate the car. Zipcar operates in big cities like New York, London, Chicago and Toronto, here anybody, even foreigners, can have a car just with a click on their iPhone!
reference:nytimes.com/2009/04/07/arts/design /07buzz.html?_r=1
BARTER FOR YOUR B&B
In Parma, Italy, throughout this month they are welcoming visitors with the Verdi Festival; celebrating the life of their home-grown composer. The festival includes many experiences, such as musical performances, tastings of typical cuisine of the time, and original costumes are placed in many shop windows. Also, for 15 minutes of every hour, they blare Verdi operatic music at high volume into the streets, creating an incredibly dramatic but appealing atmosphere and awareness for the next concert.
LET’S PLAY!
LOCAL GUIDES
reference from field source
STREET OPERA ACOUSTICS
reference from field source.
reference: mashable.com/2009/10/14/layar-iphone/ and a friend who works for Vodafone
“My local guide” is a collection of new tourist guides which peculiarity is that they are not written by travelers but by the inhabitants of the city, Every author shares their personal experience with places and original spots of their city, and explains their personal point of view in order to help tourists to find the real essence of the city.
reference: google.cn
reference: Nova24 n. 192, 8 ottobre 2009.
LAYAR APPLICATION
reference: www.atilonavi.com
Garden vertical walls are one of the new architectural ways of rendering cities warmer and better places to stay. The Caixa in Madrid created a whole wall decorated with all sorts of plants, really impressive during Spring time.
You have iPhone, I have Copycat-ting iPhone which is almost the same but cheaper! You can only see the panda in the zoo, then I prinked and my doggy then I have a copycat-ting panda at home. You only can see the most popular actor on the TV, I can dress like him and behave like him... Telephone, website, blogs, brands, products, singers, actors, TV shows, even pandas, once they are launched or published, you can find the Copycat-ting vision on the second day. It’s so called "Copycat-ting culture" according to "www.google.cn". Feel free to copy, everything can be copied.
GREENWATCH MAPPING CITY
ARTIFICIAL SOCIALISING
reference: youtube.com/watch?v=P0tOOcgcHTE
reference: officinecreativedergano.it NEW SCANNER IN AIRPORT FACEBOOK CONNECT WITH HUFFINGTON POST
Information from a friend on site Image from www.flickr.com
Recently a new scanner is launched in Manchester International Airport in the UK. The new scanner is in securitychecks. It scans the body and builds a 3-D black and white image which shows everything hidden within 15 seconds, and a clean figure of the body as well, like a naked-check. This scanner can speed up the security-check, but in the same time, you are "naked" to the world. Welcome to the airplane, just at the moment, you are "naked" like the first time you arrived in the world.
Facebook connect is a service born from the partnership between facebook and The Huffington Post. This digital connection created the “HuffPost Social News”, a service that allows its readers to share with their friends and fellow “facebookiens” news and opinions. The service is more than a link, through just one unique profile you can see your friends’ activities; both on HuffPo Social News and Facebook. It is a new frontier to simplify connection, browsing the web and making it easier for people to express themselves and to meet others.
refence: zipcar.com
Today’s economic climate is having a strong impact on the tourism industry, with a demand from holidaymakers for lower budget accommodation. This has been taken on to the next level by the Italian group www.bed-and-breakfast.it, who are launching the initiative of ‘Barter Week’ from 16th to 22nd November. During this period, and via the internet, you can be welcomed into participating B&Bs by bartering for your stay with goods such as DVDs or homemade marmalade, or even services such as gardening or music lessons. SINGLE ROOM, PRIVATE BATH, ANTI WI-FI PAINTED...
A town should first live in its streets; that's exactly the idea of the coffee "il lunedì dello studio" in Tonfano, Marina di Pietrasanta (LU), the coffee shop created in an ex-scavenger shop, preserves the interior just the way it used to be, and has furnised the street in front with old carpets, fashion, little wooden tables, fancy arm-chairs, and all sort of details of older times. A very welcoming dining-street!
reference: janeyoung.com
reference: designbuzz.it, september 2009
reference: mproveverywhere.com
The “Geography of buzz” is research that produced a map of “buzz” in New York and Los Angeles, locating hot spots based on the frequency and draw of cultural happenings: film, television screenings, concerts, fashion shows, gallery and theater openings. The aim of the study is to be able to quantify and understand, visually and spatially, how the creative cultural scene really works; but the map can also become a useful instrument for people who don't know the city well, to understand where the best and more important cultural and artistic events are, going over the traditional media such as tourist guides.
STREETS LIKE COFFEES I’LL HAVE WHAT SHE ORDERED
reference from field source
NO COVERING, JUST CLIMBERS
PUBLIC SPACE PHOTO SHARING
The Parma temporary train station represents an interesting approach to the theme of restoration, continuity of services and customer satisfaction. During the construction of the building, a new temporary station has been built up with all the typical services of a station (information office, ticket office, waiting area, etc) but also a lot of new spaces . The structure is completely prebuilt and is flexible, so it can change during the progress of the building process. The Parma temporary station is an example of how design solutions helps the “welcome experience” also in the case of extraordinary events, such as a yard.
reference: London’s Metro Newspaper
reference: .wishyouwerehereswap.com
Scaffolding covers our beautiful Italian arc hitecture from the vis itors' eyes, EdiliziAcroba tica is an alternative wa y of restoring buildings that is not invasive. Worke rs are specialised in both alpinism and build ing, and can climb up the buildings and hang ing on ropes while restor ing it. What's a better way to let people see Italian beauties and at the same time preserve the m?
TEMPORARY WELCOMING
reference: bbc.co.uk
reference: huffingtonpost.com
SOCIAL MASCOTS
…great! I'll book. I am sick of others using my connection! Researchers at the University of Tokyo in Japan have created a special paint which can block out wireless signals. The paint, which could cost as little at £10 per kilogram, contains an aluminium-iron oxide which resonates at the same frequency as wi-fi – or other radio waves – meaning the airborne data is absorbed and blocked.
After splitting a 2 euro tall beer with a friend, plant your butt down within the festive atmosphere of Colonne di San Lorenzo, Milan. You will then experience the man behind the good vibe here. Known as 'becks-man' his enthusiasm and love of social interaction is of greatly benefits the tourism to this area.
reference: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8279549.stm
reference from field source
reference: en.settimanadelbaratto.it
REUSED BANNER BAGS Jumping on the 'Reuse' band wagon are an increasing number of city councils and art museums who reuse exhibition banners to make bags for public sale. The result is a vibrant collection with special graphic features, while extending the lifecycle of the original product. The bags are a “must” for all lovers of recycled art and a keep-sake for any visitor.
START-UP WEDDING REGISTRY
DESIGN+CAMPING Design Camping project represents an important attempt to answer to the new needs of flexible, temporary, nomadic residential structures, which give the possibility to enjoy public spaces. The this project, which has been organized for the Milano Design Week 2009, in the spaces of Parco Sempione and Arena Civica. The mission of Design Camping is to promote the use of design for sustainable hospitality, looking towards the Milan Expo 2015.
It's a new wedding invitation in USA.A new couple, who work in Silicon Valley, are preparing to run a new company, for this reason they hoped people can help them buy computers, software or facilities for their new-born company, instead of buying pans or blenders which they didn't need. They even published their bank account number, indicating people can send money directly. But why don’t they use our Chinese rule, to put money into a red envelope and present it directly?! You're more welcoming if you can bring us some benefit. reference: youtube.com
PARENT’S DATE IN SHANGAI
WELCOMING EXPERIENCES; FEELING CONNECTED
THIS IS A SQUARE! ¡esta es una plaza! is a social group whose focus is to re-humanize and render Madrid a more welcome city, through the creation of public squares. They plan meetings through a blog, to have "public breakfasts" in the area where a public space is needed. reference estaesunaplaza.blogspot.com.
YOUR PERSONAL HOTEL Citizen M is a new concept of hotel created by Philips in the Schipol Airport (Amsterdam); the main idea of the project is to put the guest in the center of a personalized experience. The core of the system is the Moodpad, a remote control with which it's possible to control illumination, temperature, colours and sound. The preferences are stored in the hotel server but also in a personal Rfid card. This system gives the possibility for the customers to program the room according to a selected definition but it's also possible to create a clever interactive ambient that recognizes different guests, thanks to the Rfid technology.
reference: BestUp newspaper, designcamping.com
reference: Nòva 24, Il sole 24 ore, 15th November 2007, citizenm.com
BIKE BUS Don't let the traffic put you off your bike, join a bike bus! A bike bus is a group of people who cycle to work in a group. It's called a "bus" because there is a set route and timetable so it can pick up more "passengers" along the way. Cycling is a quick, fun way to get to work while keeping fit and healthy. A bike bus adds social interactivity and comfort of riding in a group. And it's zero emissions, so you save 1.3 tonnes of greenhouse emissions per annum, for a 10km commute.
HUNTING SECRETS “whaiwhai” represents a new way of discovering a city that you're visiting, it is an interactive story that leads you to explore the place in a new exciting way. Whaiwhai is a treasure hunt that gives the possibility of discovering original, authentic aspects of the city, its secrets and tales.The game is very simple and it is based on sms and a “whaiwhai book” a mix between a traditional guide and a gamebook. Whaiwhai gives you the chance to find special places and unusual details; they will reveal a surprising, astonishing city before your eyes, even if it’s a city you think you already know well. Every city (Venezia, Roma, Firenze, Verona) have its secrets, and the goal of the treasure hunt is to find these secrets, but the real goal is to enjoy the city and to live an original and unique experience.
reference: reference from field source, bikebus.org.au/
BROWSE YOUR PHOTO IN PHOTOSYNTH Microsoft explored a new software which brings you a new visional experience. You go and open it's website, up-load your photos of one location, as many as you can, from different directions and close-ups of the materials of the object, then according to the Photosynth it can convert it into a 3D model, like taking you to the real scene. Browse your 2D photos in 3D model, amazing! reference: photosynth.net
reference: whaiwhai.com, , nova.ilsole24ore.com
WELCOME TO BLOOD DONATION
The stores at Fidenza Village Outlet (Pr) are using a Bluetooth technology to inform customers about the best offers and products inside; customers passing in front of the store receive a text message about the store causing to be more attractive and customer-friendly.
The event happened in Beijing, China, 2008. In some region in China, the resoure of blood supply cannot be guaranteed in the safe and reliable way. To publicise the harmful use of blood donation field services by using the conception of Chinese traditional paper, which is highly water-penetrable, adding certain interaction demonstrations, they show that unclean blood can increase the risk of being infectious among people in blood transfusion. Welcome to blood donation instead of undefined place.
reference from field source
reference: adsoftheworld.com
SHOPPING TIPS ON YOUR MOBILE
Mr Phileas Fogg has been Around the World in 80 Days. On his return, he sits at his desk and spreads out all the scraps of information and observations he had collected from his journey. He tries to understand which experiences made him feel “Welcomed”, and why. He believes it is a personal experience, a feeling of pleasure, and the ability to be made to feel comfortable in a new environment. So what gave him this pleasure and what made him feel comfortable? From his findings he noticed a common theme that appeared among many of his experiences; the feeling of being connected. He observed that this feeling had been created in two main ways; firstly, those experiences that enabled and encouraged social interaction and connecting to other people. He had found many organisations and websites that fostered the meeting of others in fun, new ways, and ultimately, this personal interaction, and face-to-face contact, made him feel most welcomed. Secondly, Mr Fogg observed he had also been made to feel ‘connected’ when experiences gave him access to knowledge on his new environment, and he had come across services, technologies and products that also facilitated this experience. You can find all the examples collected by Mr Fogg from his travels here, on this map.
The Tourist Information Office typically welcomes visitors as their first port-of-call in a new city, and in Parma, Italy, the office has an interesting object providing a unique service. The “Infotable”; a large, interactive table that allows users to pan a virtual map of the region and to select areas of interest, with an extensive menu of relevant links to further information. The table is vastly more engaging and far easier to digest than the normal information-overload provided by racks of leaflets.
reference from field source, images by Tan
reference: bequietplease.it
Manly Council, on the Northern beaches of Sydney, took the lead in providing the community with clean, fresh public drinking water and reducing bottled water usage by providing water bottle refill fountains along the Manly Corso, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state. A responsible and welcoming environmental change within the community and to incoming tourists.
The clothes brand "Columbia" launched an interesting website named "a box life". They used the recycled box for packing products. Every box has a series number. You insert the number on the website, then you can see the box's trip on Google Map, where it has been and what it was used for. In the same time, you need to add your new information about this box to continue the recording of the box. Welcome to use recycle box. reference: mr6.cc
During this month’s Dance Umbrella Festival in London, 20 performers lead an audience of tourists and local passers by on a tour of some of London’s most atmospheric public spaces. Starting at London Bridge, and revealing their path en route, they wound their way to More London. Creating intriguing human installations and interacting with existing art pieces along the way, such as The Needle Sculpture; they welcomed spectators to overlooked areas of London and a new kind of dance.
reference: bottledwateralliance.com.au
reference:TimeOut London Magazine
MARRY A WOMAN FROM YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD Internet and in particular social software as a forum, chat, social network, video and photo sharing represent a big opportunity for all the emigrants in the world who want to share personal experiences and feelings, to combat the loneliness and remain in contact with family and friends. But on the web emigrants can also find useful advice or answers and even wives! Indian immigrants can find their soulmate on Shaadi.com or Bharatmatrimony.com, Arabian immigrants on Zawgaty.com, Filipino on Filipinaheart.com and Africans on Afrointroductions.com where they are now living.
Warrington train station in the UK, recently introduced a rather unwelcoming initiative of “No Kissing”. Signs have been erected in areas of the station, in the hope of preventing lingering goodbyes to loved ones, and the blocking of platforms during busy rush hours. They have alternatively created a “Kissing Zone” in the not-so-busy car park. Organizers say, "It is a fairly congested station and ideally what we want is for people to come here, drop someone off and move on.”
L E CO R TH
reference: Nòva 24. Il sole 24 ore, 7th February 2008
E UND
In an inspiring display of sensibility, the prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has ordered male government employees to stop wearing suits, jackets, and neckties. The move will help minimise the need for air conditioning. Accompanying the government’s decision was an order not to turn air conditioners in government buildings below 75 degrees F. Bangladesh columnist Maswood Alam Khan suggests that the new attire, in addition to saving energy, might help restore a sense of national pride.
CLUBS ACTING AS HOSTELS The disco bar Knokke out in Zoute, Belgium, is a cool and fashion place in the most popular beach place in Belgium. Since rentings are very expensive there, in order to be able to choose boys and girls to work there from Brussels as well, it offers accommodation for them at the second floor, right upstairs the disco club. People working there after the night, clean up and can sleep alltogher there, ending in a big sleepover!
reference: features.csmonitor.com/environment/2009/09/05/to-save power-bangladesh-bans-suits-and-ties/
reference from field source SPACE OUT
WASHING...AND DRINKING! FRESH BAGGAG E BELT
reference: adsoftheworld.com
A BOX LIFE
BODY SCULPTURE TRAIL
reference: the Independent Newspaper, UK
In Gulfport Biloxi international Airport, after traveling to the airport and enduring a long flight, travelers welcomed a bit of calm. To create a refreshingly tranquil oasis for the weary passengers, they covered the boring baggage belt and transformed it into a swimming pool complete with swimmers and playful slogans, trying to mimick the cool water of Beau Rivage's tropical pool. We welcome you before you get out the airport.
reference from a friend on site
Be Quiet Please is a house, are two people a boy and a girl who open their own house to new, unknown artists to give them a possibility to expose their art. Be quiet Please is a new alternative way of promoting emerging art, open your house to art and so your mind to it. Anybody can propose themselves through the website.
S
NO KISSING
reference from field source.
reference from field source, cyanatrendland.com/category/all-everything/trends/
HOME ART EXHIBITION
Bed sharing is an initiative that Esterni organized for some big events in Milano since Design Week 2008; its purpose was to create a different kind of hospitality experience, to promote meeting among people with same interests but from different cultures and to create a network of people who believe in this type of “alternative” tourism.
FOUNTAIN R REFILL E T A W D FILTERE
HOT
reference from field source
At Nottingham University in the UK, this year’s freshers were greeted with a welcome pack on their bed. Amongst packets of condoms and maps highlighting the city’s clubs and bars, it included a frisbee. The frisbees had the name of each student accommodation building, or ‘Halls’, printed on it, and encouraged kids to go outside and meet each other in a new and interactive way - catch someone’s frisbee, you know where they live!
BE OUR GUEST!
LAR
Taken form the French Parkour movement and the idea "everyone's a photographer these days" is the creative an entertaining street culture movement, Artistic Intoxicated Street Stunting. It's Friday night and you are wondering the streets with the crew to your next party and just have that itch to get Radical? You have got your Amber Ale knee pads on, and Mick has his maroon Canon ixus i digital camera set to BW with a modified electrical tape flash adjustment. Time to get it!
HALL FRISBEE
an beng
reference from source field, esterni.org
BOYS AND THERE NOISE INFOTABLE
In the central park of Shanghai, China, people held an open-air party every weekend. It's neither English Corner* nor club. All the participants are old couples or old citizens. They are looking for an ideal wife/husband for their sons/daughters. They published all the requirements on paper and hang them on the branches. Let's have a look at what is on the paper: "My daughter is Ph.D, good career and high salary... So we are looking for a handsome gentleman, single, who has foreign educational background; salary must be WELCOME TO EXPO-SH at least ***RMB annule, has a property in Shanghai at least *** sq.m in downtown..." Introducing a mate is Since EXPO is the biggest event in Shan common in China, but parents' date is a new trend.You're welcome only if you are on my list. ghai, China, the government is preparing everything for EXPO. "We want to show the best to the world." New pavilions, new skyscrapers, new metro lines *"English Corner" is a public party which usually held in the Universities or public parks for practicing and new transportation stations... Almost every build ing in the downtown has been deco English. The participants got together there and spoke English. It's a common way to learn English in China rated, the pavements on all main streets have been renewed. Every avenu e and lane are occupied by construct ion, bricks and dust. The whole city is in reference: baidu.com construction! Now if you walk in the city, you are "passing through bamboo fores t and walking in desert", because in Chin a all the constructions are made of bamb oo. Actually it's the new trend in Chin a, especially in big cities like Beijing or Shanghai. Chinese people are getting used to live with that and take it as welcomin g. That's our pre-welcome.
A website in Australia called "Space out" can help you to rent spaces.You can find all kinds of space there: "office space", "parking space" and "store space".You can just ask for a small space in other's storerooms to store your luggage for a couple of hours, so they can earn some extra pocket money from their wasted space. So welcome to "www.spaceout.aus" and membership is free.
the WashBubbleBar is a new concept of self-service laundry: besides washing machines you find a bar where you can eat something for lunch, have an aperitivo or simply drink something while waiting. It represents an opportunity to meet people if you're a tourist or if you’ve just arrived in the city and to create new friendships with other people in the same situation, to share your personal experiences and problems.
CITY ENTRANCE The company of Milano's airport SEA has launched a competition calling on designers and architects to bring its vision for “La Porta di Milano”(Milano's Gate) to life; a work of art connecting the airport to the city, a grand entrance of great symbolic value filled with light, sound, materials and colors. The “Porta di Milano” will be an iconic work, the ideal mix between art, design and architecture by which Milan will greet and welcome all the passengers of the airport form the first moment they arrive; the starting point of the experience of staying in Milan.
reference: washbubblebar.com
reference: laportadimilano.it PERFORMINGROMA PerformingRoma is a cultural platform that uses new media and connection to other interactive service platforms such as digital audio broadcasting, geoblogging and interaction design, to look for recreating the spirit of Roman walks during the Ottobrata period (Roman Harvest of October). Users implement the whole platform with their videos, photos, sounds and organizing performances and events, so creating an emotional map of the city available for everybody. reference: performingroma.org
WELCOME BACK! Recently, in JFK airport, a group of people created a very welcoming experience. 20 members of ‘Imrpov Everywhere’ picked out a driver holding a name-board of a person they were waiting to collect, and told him that they too were waiting for that person. They then quickly set about making personalized posters and banners with the chosen person’s name on, and with screams, flowers and balloons, gave complete strangers the most memorable and confusing welcome experience of their lives. reference: mproveverywhere.com
reference: mr6.cc
TINAG ‘This Is Not A Gateway’ is an organization aiming to bring together people living and working in Europe and whose main prerogative is their city, and supports them in improving it. Its cofounder, Oldfield says: “By 2030, around 60% of the global population will live in urban areas; we need to develop new forms of urban citizenship.” Last year TINAG won the Creating The Future Award from the Academy For Sustainable Communities, and at the end of this month they are holding a 4 day festival in London covering topics such as ‘How women are designing cities' and 'Optimistic immigrants'. resource: thisisnotagateway.squarespace.com/
LIFESTYLE COLLECTION SETS polyvore.com is an online fashion store where the user can create and browse lifestyle sets of a collection of fashion items and objects based around a theme. This way you shop by a themed look or play around with items without physical retail staff breathing down your neck. reference: polyvore.com/it_makes_you_happy_cant/set?id=12851596