News, Ideas | May 28th 2019

Balancing Act Exhibit Explores How Technology Can Develop a More Human Urban Experience

CBT is the curating force behind Balancing Act: Urbanism & Emerging Technologies, a traveling exhibit that got its start in 2019 at the Boston Society of Architects. Designed and curated by the CBT exhibition team, Balancing Act examines the current conditions of our urban environments and the possibility of a more human-centered future for emerging technologies in the design and development of cities around the world. The exhibit was recently shown at AIA Seattle, with more cities to come.

About
As technology innovation and urban population continue to increase, the symbiotic relationship between cities and technology has become imperative to not only achieve efficiency in economy and convenience, but also to provide higher quality of life. Whether by autonomous automobiles, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), smart buildings, or Hyperloop tunnels, the urban experience is undergoing remarkable transformations and there is a growing urgency to find balance between technology and urban life.

Balancing Act: Urbanism & Emerging Technologies poses a series of questions exploring ways to focus technology on the human experience so that our cities may become more livable, equitable, and sustainable. Components include a timeline that contextualizes technology advancements, a video expressing different perspectives, an interactive projection of current technological forces, and graphic exploration of ongoing initiatives that are driving the integration of emerging technologies in our cities.

Contributing sponsors include Existing Conditions and Pickard Chilton. The American Institute of Architects has provided a grant to support traveling Balancing Act to select component chapters across the United States.

Exhibition Content
Current Forces Interactive Mapping—CBT, Certain Measures
Urban Technology Timeline—CBT

Featured projects include (A-Z order):
Beta Blocks—Supernormal and Engagement Lab
Blueprint for Autonomous Urbanism—NACTO
Citiesense—Citiesense
City Scanner—MIT Senseable City Lab
CityWays—MIT Senseable City Lab
Complex Urbanities—MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab
Downtown Crossing—Supernormal
Elevation—Dezeen
Form Maps—Certain Measures
Fuel Station of the Future—Foster + Partners and Nissan
Future of Streets—City Form Lab
Public Square—FXCollaborative
Reality Model—Aerial Genomics
Sky Tower—Pickard Chilton with Arup and Uber
Treepedia—MIT Senseable City Lab
Underworlds—MIT Senseable City Lab
Upcycles—Upcycles
Urban Network Analysis—City Form Lab
Computing Co-Operative Development—MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab
Hyperloop—Virgin Hyperloop One

Urbanistic Imaginations on view include:
Autonomous Block—CBT
Fuel Cell Futurisms—op.AL and Bureau 0-1
Augmented Reality City—Simplex Architecture

Interviews on View
Andrew Witt—Certain Measures, Harvard GSD
Daniel O’Brien—Boston Area Research Initiative, Northeastern University
Elizabeth Christoforetti—Supernormal
Eric Gordon—Engagement Lab, Emerson College
Ever Drewicz
Fábio Duarte—MIT Senseable City Lab
Richard Bertman, Courtney Costello, Sae Kim—CBT