Thought behind the thought
Don't we realize, too late at times, that we have made a wrong choice? And that we have totally missed the bus, or changed the track because of the choices we made? And then we wonder 'What if......."
Life puts you through an examination, where there is no answer key to any of the questions asked. If there is one, it comes to you only at the end, after all the choices have been made, and your fate sealed. So, make your choices with utmost care, because they are finally going to chart your journey and decide your destination!
About Design
If you thought making choices as an individual is difficult, think about making choices as a community! How difficult it is for a group of people to make the right choice, considering all the diverse views and opinions, and also the diverse ambitions and aspirations.
That is exactly why the planning and design of cities becomes such a complex process, with so many alternative case scenarios developed for the very many choices that are made in the urban design process! What if you could predict future urban scenarios accurately based on the matrix of choices?
That is what the "Urbanology Online" Game, designed by the BMW Guggenheim Lab does!
Urbanology is a game that examines the complex ways in which cities develop. It puts you in charge of your own city by presenting you with a variety of real-world urban dilemmas. Every decision you make impacts your city negatively or positively; often in ways you might not expect.
At the end of game play, a custom algorithm takes eight major categories (innovation, transportation, health, affordability, wealth, lifestyle, sustainability, and livability) into account, and then calculates the closest real-world equivalent to the city you've created.
The game experience for Urbanology was developed by Local Projects, and the physical design was created by ZUS [Zones Urbaines Sensibles].
The BMW Guggenheim Lab was a mobile laboratory about urban life that began as a co-initiative of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the BMW Group. From 2011 to 2014, the Lab traveled to New York,Berlin, and Mumbai. Part urban think tank, part community center and public gathering space, the Lab’s goal was the exploration of new ideas, experimentation, and ultimately the creation of forward-thinking visions and projects for city life. Through the lens of the themes Confronting Comfort, Making, and Privacy and Public Space, this global project explored how people relate to cities and public space today.
The Lab brought together interdisciplinary teams of emerging talents in the areas of urbanism, architecture, art, design, science, technology, education, and sustainability, to creatively explore, experiment and finally create solutions for cities through participatory processes.
The Lab has traveled to cities like New York, Berlin and Mumbai, and conducted some very interesting experiments and organised events, think tanks and projects based on the urban issues related to those cities. It surely has created a participatory model of thinking for our cities, which is becoming increasingly important and relevant to the design of cities today.
Do visit the site and play the "Urbanology Online" game, to know what kind of future city you would build with your personal choices!
