workshop two!

This week we got down to looking at some finer details regarding what our town centre might look like in 2035. We were fortunate to have Phil Shroud come and speak to us about the actual town planning thats underway, explaining how there is a desire to transform Paraparaumu, to become the heart of the Kapiti Coast. To do so we need to create a centre that engages and provides for all ages, a space where people enjoy spending time together. Phil explained the intention to shift the focal point of Paraparaumu’s centre from Coastlands to a civic area centered around where the library is, with more parks and green spaces.

Vanessa presented an overview of new and old technologies that might inform our future. We looked at exciting developments such as 3D printing cars and hous
es from recycled materials, models for houses which absorb more carbon that they create and the wondrous potentials of driverless cars – what will we do in our car if we don’t have to drive?

It was interesting to compare technology from 100 years ago till now, especially noticing that some new innovations look much like old ways of doing things – the Zero Waste Supermarket looks much like food markets at the turn of the twentieth century.

We also looked at innovative ways to rethink our public spaces, including how to turn a car park into a public meeting area!

Together we brainstormed what we wanted our centre city to look like in 2035 and came up with some fantastic ideas.

• Solar panels everywhere!
• Places for people to talk
• Markets
• Community Gardens
• Playgrounds
• A fountain
• Art

Sharing resources:

• an exchange centre or swap shop
• space for more events, out door movies and concerts
• shared gardens, edible + to create fuel!

Create a town centre residential area:

• we are social beings, we need people to make a heart!
• more people = a more engaging place to be
• more density with green roof tops etc

• Robots to do expensive jobs
• New types of work
• 3D printing revolutionising local production of goods
• NO PLASTIC
• Ban Plastic Bags

Create communal carrying devices:

• communal paper bags or baskets
• drones to carry things
• grocery trucks
• robots
• Garbage trucks: computerised/sensory controlled

Alongside Lego free play for the kids we also had a show n tell of models, Jake updated us on his progress building the existing Farmers building, what an amazing model!  He also showed the LED light modules that have been made up for builders to integrate into their models – the battery pack will fit into a space 4 studs wide, 8 studs long and a little less than 2 bricks high. The batteries should last 100 days if new, so you can build them right into your model. We have blue, green yellow red and white, flashing and non-flashing.

         

Next week we will be thinking about the Sustainability Fair, we also hope to have our shipment of Lego arrive to share out and will get straight into building with a short fire competition imaging and building a Sustainability Fair model during the workshop.

view full slideshow: workshop 2