There is but one fear in modern society and that is love.
Our current society sees quite obvious concerns: aging (people don’t make babies anymore), dropping marriage rates (people don’t commit to each other anymore), and altogether a lack of reason to socialize (people don’t even go out anymore). In that society which we call future, one can only imagine men as solitude beings. These solitude beings work remotely, prefer to be referred to as pixels rather than persons, and satisfy their basic needs without leaving home. Yet one also questions at the same time what is the significance of public space; that space which is all about interaction?
We think that it is more important than ever. It takes on the bigger responsibility of countering such solitude. “Throughout history, architecture in Tokyo has been in a state of constant flux (so will the road and infrastructure network be with the advent of future AI technology and smart city plan), while open green spaces can be considered as the only constant referential point through which we are able to read the city over a long period of time.” Time has witnessed the demolition of shopping districts and the metabolization of streets: Yet the park never dies. And it is only logical for us to imagine the park as the ground of our 20XX idea: A place to fall in love.
Acknowledging the gradual proximity between digital and physical space, think instagrammable space, blogsphere, we see the future public space as technologically humanistic, and seek to recreate a sense of digital comfort in physical space. Following the socio-psychological pattern of falling in love, we design spatial characteristics that complement smart systems integrated with dating apps. Using navigation systems, heat maps and gaming mechanisms contained within the dating app, people walk on spatialized emotional journeys in the city.
Passing by countless people on the streets each day, we may not be able to find that person. But in this love-filled city of 20XX, we’ve found a way for us. Live in the mood for love.
Team: Yanling Deng, Po-Han Lin
