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How Cities could be different



Music on street corners could be identified / Shazam-ed

Traffic could be improved in Lagos, Nigeria / Bogotá, Colombia, etc.

Asian night markets could be around

Public toilets could be self-cleaning

Opening a childcare center could be easier in San Francisco

A bubble barrier could catch plastic waste in rivers / canals

Libraries could be public / community spaces

Seawalls could be living

Cities could have food waste hubs

School playgrounds could be open on the weekends

City babies could have fresh air cages

Reflective pavement could make temperatures warmer

Psychiatric / addiction care for homelessness could be coordinated by the state rather than county

City girls (or people) could walk

Hydroponic farming could provide income and nutrients for urban residents

Moss could be on buildings

Cities could be safer for birds

Street lighting, non-vacant lots, and speed bumps could reduce crime

Trees could be watered by citizens

Finding and obtaining available affordable housing could be easier

Cities / towns could have free public wifi

Art could float

Community members could be trained as violence interrupters or intervention specialists

Rail lines could become parks, hiking trails, art, or wildlife corridors

A rehabilitative model / cash support / schools / places to sleep could be used to help street children

Zoning rules and land-use regulations could be improved for more affordable housing

Strangers from different cities could talk with / see each other

City buildings could be dimmed at night to save birds

Cities / towns / states / countries could pay people to work remotely

Beekeeping could harm wild bees, spread disease, and prevent plant pollination

Car/van dwellers could sleep undisturbed in designated areas

Sack gardening could be used for nutrition, preventing desertification, and food security

Horse riding clubs and cowboys could exist in cities

Slums could have creative arts

"Botanical sexism" could be behind allergies

Bridges could be lit up

Improv could be everywhere

Affordable housing could be created by NOAHs

Natural light could be brought to cities' walkways

Houses could have porches or stoops

Different parts of cities and homes could receive help to be decorated for the holidays

15 minute walkable cities/towns could be created

Cities could have less scaffolding or integrate it into architecture

A swimming pool could be created in a river or bay

Green walls could purify air, reduce energy costs, and lift moods

Drinking fountains could have sparkling water / reusable bottles in vending machines nearby

Bike racks could have music or playful designs

Cities and towns could aim for zero waste

NYC community boards could have more power and/or have elections

Broadband internet infrastructure could be accessible for people

Houses, buildings, cities, and/or towns could float

Cities could privatize airports

Freedom or victory gardens could be promoted

Gardens could be grown in containers

Parking spaces could not be mandated

Exhausted bees could be saved with sugar

Insect hotels could help with pollination

Fats, oil, and grease could be diverted from sewer systems

Seed bombs could beautify public spaces and provide flowers for bees

A pitstop "refresh" location could be available to busy travelers or in cities/towns

Garage sales could be city-wide or town-wide

Defensive design could prevent floods

Communities could host outdoor dance lessons and music

Volunteer listeners could ease loneliness

A nation or city could be created for or highly accept refugees

Interim housing could be provided to the homeless

Urban gondolas, trams, and/or funiculars could be a part of public transportation

Homeless shelters could be navigation centers

"Learning landscapes" in commonly used areas / playgrounds could help boost education and literacy

Playgrounds could happen in different spaces

Community beautification could create economic development, lower crime, and raise quality of life

Towns and cities could have civilian / independent police oversight committees

Tactile paving could help visually-impaired people

Prison, inner city, nursing home, and hospital residents could have access to nature

Food systems could be mapped out

Clubs, shops, art galleries, and restaurants could pop-up

More trees could be planted

Communities, schools, homes could have gardens and/or food forests

Mobile produce trucks could bring fresh fruits and vegetables to neighborhoods

Parks could hold rainwater to prevent flooding

Underprivileged kids could experience the outdoors, outdoor sports, summer camp, and/or camping

Shoes could be made from recycled gum

Communities could have sing-a-longs

Cities and towns could have open or slow streets

Places could be available for naps or meditation

Refugee camps could become smart cities

Communities could go on bike rides together

Streets, public parks, and sidewalks could have trampolines

Panhandlers could be offered a job for the day

Tiny homes in backyards could house the homeless

Parking spaces could be made into parklets

Citizens could adopt fire hydrants

A device placed on a window could reduce noise

Parking spaces' availability could be known through an app

Community planning could involve games / crowdsourcing online

Libraries could be free and little

Sewer systems could use real-time monitoring and control "smart valve" technology

Citizens could call the government or nonprofits about homeless people

Bridges could be trampolines

Governments could share technology and apps to improve public services

A landlord watchlist website could improve housing conditions

Communities could use private social networking websites to connect with their neighbors

Cities / towns could offer curbside compost collection systems

Cities, countries, and organizations could offer information hotlines, websites, and texting services

Signs on the street could warn pedestrians to look both ways