Photo: Johnewing.org

This social experiment immediately caught my attention while perusing the ‘mean streets’ of Twitter. John Ewing had an idea to open up communication between the Boston neighborhoods of Brookline and Roxbury, in a not so ordinary way.

Beginning in June 2010, the storefronts in Coolidge Corner, and in Dudley Square, Roxbury will be transformed into large video screens, providing pedestrians of each neighborhood with a portal into one another’s worlds. Running 24/7, life-size screen images and AV technology will enable real-time chat between residents of the two neighborhoods.

John Ewing, Virtual Street Corners from Knight Foundation on Vimeo.

Those not familiar with Boston may not understand the importance of this social experiment. I’ll bring you up to speed. Brookline (not to be confused with Brooklyn) is one of wealthiest areas in the Boston area while Roxbury is one of the poorest. The people from both areas have a lack of communication due to a disparity in class and economic standing.

This summer I’ll be making a trip up to Boston to check out this project. I’m not sure if this can be defined as art or activism but I’m interested in seeing the project in action and the results it yields. Planners and strategists take note.

For more information on this project:

http://www.pbs.org/idealab/2009/10/virtual-street-corners-connects-neighborhoods-and-people-in-boston289.html

http://www.newschallenge.org/winner/2009/virtual-street-corners

http://www.johnewing.org/VirtualCorners/

Roadable Aircraft

A Boston-area company plans to begin flight tests this year of a two-seater airplane that moonlights as a car.

The aptly named Transition takes a stab at bridging the gap between automobiles and airplanes. Some people call it a flying car. The company designing and selling the vehicle prefers the term “roadable aircraft.”

Either way, it boils down to this: You sit down behind the steering wheel, drive to the runway, unfold two wings and take off. You can fly 500 miles on a tank of gas — regular unleaded — and when you land, you simply fold up the wings and drive where you want to go. At the end of the day, you fly back, drive home and park inside your garage.

Terrafugia, of Woburn, Mass., is not the first firm to attempt what may be the ultimate hybrid.

Terrafugia may have a winner with their “roadable aircraft” since government regulations on private aircrafts and pilot licensing have lessened in recent years. At a price tag of $194,000 only innovators with large check books and a sport pilot license will have access to the ‘flying car’ that evokes memories of the Jetsons.

Source: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/22/flying-car.html