In this article by Dan Hill, we explore a not-too-distant-future reality where everything on a “regular” street is either transmitting information, analyzing it, or aggregating it for either civic, commercial or personal purposes. Post introduction, Mr. Hill immediately dives into a vivid narrative that is basically a mental exercise in what the “street” of the future could look like if everything was wired and utilized streaming data feeds to optimize the functionality of its intended purpose. Dan Hill, ominously describes a future street that is immersed in a “twitching, pulsing cloud of data.” But the interesting part of this read is that, most of the technology he describes has already been developed. The “Street” scenario he describes could very possibly become a real place. In Mr Hill’s words, “Most of it [the technology] is in use in our streets, one way or another, and the technology that isn’t could be deployed tomorrow.” Some Examples include:
- “Data emerges from the feet of three friends, grimly jogging past, whose Nike+ shoes track the frequency and duration of every step, comparing against preset targets for each individual runner. This is cross-referenced with playlist data emerging from their three iPods.”
- In an adjacent newsagent’s, the stock control system updates as a newspaper is purchased, triggering transactions in the customer’s bank account records.
- Across the road, a telecoms engineer secures a wireless device to the telephone exchange unit on the pavement which will intermittently broadcast its state back to base, indicating when repairs might be necessary.
- Across the road, another billboard displays the number of reported burglaries and bag-snatches in the neighborhood in the last three months, live data direct from the police force systems. This causes several passers-by to feel a touch more anxious than they did a moment ago.
Dan Hill also makes the point that much of this activity from the not-too-distant future is not easily perceptible from conventional means. Mr. Hill uses the example of the snapshot taken from above. “Without the explanatory narrative of the systems being touched by these activities, [the snapshot] would be just a freeze-frame of a few people and vehicles set against a backdrop of building. A photograph or drawing would show only a handful of people, a few vehicles and some buildings.” A statement which reiterates a point that Hill makes in his introduction that – “the way a street feels may soon be defined by what cannot be seen with the naked eye.” Hill elaborates further when he claims that, “the patterns of data in the streets, the systems that enable and carry them, quality of those connections, their various levels of openness or privacy, will all affect the way the street feels rather more than the street furniture or road signs.” So much so, in fact, that Hill states that “holes” in data, public and private, may become more relevant than a pothole in the pavement.
However, one aspect about Dan Hill’s imaginary scenario that cannot be reconciled with today’s reality is the assumptions that it makes about peoples attitudes about privacy. Dan Hill describes a world where information is as free and open, and privacy is nearly non-existent (Hill does describe some closed systems). In many of the technologies that Hill describes, there are decisions that have to be made regarding privacy, security, openness, and responsibility. With all the different kinds of systems and their widely different purposes, many organizations will have to collaborate together including government organizations, public-private-partnerships (PPPs), commercial interests, community groups, and last but not least, individuals. A feat, which is not impossible, but far from plausible given today’s level of collaboration, and the incredibly system complex relationships described in Hill’s narrative.
To deal with issues regarding who is responsible for implementing, repairing, upgrading these information systems. Hill describes two likely scenarios that he believes could deal with such issues.
1.) The Locked Down Scenario
In this scenario, data systems consist of largely highly-privatized data environments which constantly reach out to potential consumers. These system’s are focused on the user’s private data, and may be played back to them with little or no chance to opt-out (Spam Anyone?). Because many interactions in this scenario will involve highly personal data, the street will become a platform for highly secure data transfer and proprietary systems. Personal data security will be an increasing focus for individuals and service provides, as the often haphazard approach to personal data will not be allowed to continue. Moreover, systems that are vulnerable to abuse or have the potential to create safety hazards if compromised – traffic lights, for example – will be subject to increased regulation and highly secure systems.
Dan Hill views the complete lock-down of data as both impossible and counter-productive, as a suspicion of using such data inappropriately will lead to resistance. Hill further states that “the locked down street, based around centralized proprietary systems, can be surmised to struggle with localization,” meaning if the systems are to provide any data that relies on localized information it will have to use some sort of collaborative open system. If these systems decide not convey localized information, it may find itself in danger of being ignored or inadvertently misused. In sum, Hill believes an open approach to descriptive data can enable a far richer data-set, giving a more accurate sense of what the street is.
2.) The Open Source Street
Many of the systems described in Hill’s narrative were contrived with openness in mind. Hill argues that the purpose of doing this is to “enable maximum coverage and to stimulate engagement and innovation, with occasional possibility for unintended creative use. And often, it is public data and therefore part of a civic relationship.” Hill elaborates further on informational systems that leave themselves open to possibility and uses the example of the Application Programming Interface (API) to exemplify how users of the information systems can benefit from each others’ contributions. Hill argues that real-time data would be invaluable to those whose job it is to maintain and develop the street. But in the hands of the community, this data can used much more effectively and further engage the community in their environment. On the other hand, an open-source approach can mean that the range and depth of information, and the quality of execution, are left in the hands of others. The question he poses to the reader is whether this is a good or bad thing.
In his conclusion, Hill admits that the near-future street will inevitably been a mixture of both scenarios and much more, as designing the contemporary street means attempting to understand and shape the most complex set of relationships between humans and the built environment yet imagined.
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