Techno-Utopia

Techno-Utopia is a work that aims to contribute to the debate of how existing public spaces could be adapted to the hyperconnected world. New technologies applied to Public Realm could be the key to reduce the mismatch of virtual and physical world, as most of the people stand in public spaces immersing themselves in virtual connections.

Considering a hyperconnected world, it was questioned how public spaces fit into this context, as technological tools spread and society changes due to its use. The reappropriation of public spaces in Brazil has been a constant concern of Architects and Urban Planners. The Brazilian population has become increasingly reclusive due to issues of urban violence, generating hostile sociability, individualism and isolation. This work sought to associate technologies with public spaces, in an attempt to create hybrid spaces related to technology as a way to reterritorialize its space. For the insertion of the project on the urban scale, an area was selected in the city of Curitiba, considered the most connected city in Brazil. Infrastructure indicators were also considered to ensure that the selected area needs improvements related to the public realm. The proposal is a simulation of a real time programmable city, where some elements presented in public spaces are changeable according to the user's momentary need. In this sense, this city would be programmed by users through smartphone applications. Self-driving vehicles will assist in urban mobility; urban furniture can be allocated where it is most convenient; drone projections can offer ambience to spaces at low physical impact; virtual and augmented reality can be used as a means of preserving heritage and serving as a portal to the historical past; drones will do public lighting; zoning and regulations will be adapted to mutant buildings and the circulation of drones in aerial space. After simulating this near-future city, some questions have emerged. More than predicting whether it will be good or bad, a relevant point could be to think about how this city can influence the behavior and lifestyle of the inhabitants, considering that technology transforms society in the same way that society transforms technology.