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In 2009 we had an idea, to bring together a group of global cities to share their challenges with the international technology community. Our hypothesis was that a solution to any challenge is out there already, and that by finding it we can learn and avoid re-inventing the wheel. Since then, the Living Labs Global Award has become the world’s most significant call for solutions, in its current edition 21 global cities call for technologies to improve the lives of 110 Million citizens.

On May 2/3 2012 the Living Labs Global Award will culminate in an Award Ceremony, a Matchmaking Summit and an Executive Training Workshop to bring solution providers and cities together and enable the dialogue around major urban challenges. The Living Labs Global Award Ceremony will take place on the eve of the Rio Summit on Service Innovation in Cities on May 2nd 2012. 21 Cities will present the shortlist and winners for their challenges in a festive ceremony.

The city of Eugene, Oregon, has been working its way through the process of planning for future growth over the past 20 months, using various public engagement tools.  Early on, it became evident that we would need new and different media formats to inform and engage people at different points in the process.   For major public conversations such as creating a community vision, we held large workshops with plenty of opportunities for small group discussion.  For feedback on interim staff proposals, we have used surveys, on-line comment forms, and meetings with community groups.  Throughout the process, staff has maintained a Facebook page and comprehensive website with current project videos, maps, and documents posted as they are developed.

Architects’ models and line drawings used to be the only tools we had to help us visualize a proposed building or major streetscaping project. These days, a host of high-tech tools can help us see the changes in 3-D, compare scenarios, fly or walk through a mock-up of the new design, and even interact with a model through an avatar.

In small towns, citizens can attend town hall meetings, and vote directly on major changes to the community, while in larger cities, allowing every resident to have a voice in shaping his community’s built environment can be quite complex. Coincidentally, the sheer number of new projects that arise in large cities, like New York for example, can overwhelm residents, and leave folks with the impression that they have actually do not a voice in the decision making process. However, an interesting new open-source urban planning program is now available that could change the way in which architectural projects move from design to reality.