Ella Howard, Associate Professor, History, Wentworth
The FutureLab is kicked off with Ella Howard [Wentworth], who has deep expertise in urban renewal, suburban growth, gentrification, and the roles these played in public health in the past, and how they may reshape the future. She brings the power of historical thinking and exploration of past public health disasters to the present, what lessons were learned, which forgotten and how they can inform our current COVID-19 crisis.
Dave Mareira, Executive-in-Residence, Business Management, Wentworth + Partner, Roadrunner
Ella Howard, Associate Professor, History, Wentworth
In the FutureLab Talk #2 Ella Howard [Wentworth] explores with Dave Mareira [Wentworth/Roadrunner] how COVID-19 has impacted communities and neighborhoods in Boston. Dave Mareira is a community and political activist and shares how the State and local governments have responded to the crisis, and what communities themselves are doing to support their neighbors and create systems to combat inequalities and care for each other.
Rotterdam, Netherlands, Shift Architecture Urbanism
https://www.shift-au.com/projects/hyperlocal-micromarket/
Copenhagen, Denmark, Tåsinge Plads
https://www.citylab.com/design/2016/01/copenhagen-parks-ponds-climate-change-community-engagement/426618/
Criteria used to assess innovations: Societal/Community growth
Copenhagen has been reclaiming unused parking lots and converted them into parks. Not the typical green spaces, but intelligent water collection systems. Water from heavy rainfall and rising seawater levels is stored in underground tanks and can turn the park into a pond, upside down umbrellas collect water and function as irrigation system, bouncy floors can be activated by kids jumping and collect energy to fuel the system. This model is part of “climate-resilient neighborhoods” and in times of COVID-19 an opportunity to examine the innovative expansion of green spaces in urban environments.
Hangzhou, China, Yangzheng Primary School
www.fastcompany.com/90499437/this-school-in-china-has-a-brilliant-solution-for-keeping-kids-six-feet-apart
Schools are opening back up but operating differently. Keeping a safe distance can be difficult to visualize and perform especially for schoolchildren who are used to playing around with each other. The social-distancing hat teaches kids about history, proper coronavirus precautions, and creativity. After almost three months off the children were required to create a hat with two long wing-like flaps decorated to their liking prior to return. This concept originates from the Song Dynasty where court officials had to wear similar hats to prevent conspiring during meetings. If the kids’ hats were to touch walking down the hall, they would be reminded to keep their distance.