A livable city – it can depend on so little.

Image source: http://blogs.lanacion.com.ar/ecologico/files/2011/03/entrada-549x435.jpg

Royal Philips Electronics launched in May 2010 an innovation contest Philips Livable Cities Award to find new solutions for improving health and well-being in cities. 2010-2011 has been the first year of the contest and it drew 450 ideas from 29 countries, eight of which were selected as finalists. Sabrina Faber's "Rainwater Aggregation for Yemen" was chosen as the overall winner at a ceremony two weeks ago in Amsterdam. She was granted €75,000 to start working with local contractors and associations to begin implementing the idea on the city of Sana'a buildings in Yemen.

The competition attracted innovative people to create new ways of making a difference in people’s lives. Out of the top ideas, one can find solutions in the fields of: Rainwater aggregation, Shelter from extreme weather conditions, Recreation on the streets, Sports in the city, Virtual elderly care, City re-generation, Neighbourhood and Education.

Second-place winner Manuel Rapoport's project “Plaza Movil Street Park” will create safe, portable recreational areas in Buenos Aires, Argentina, by temporarily closing streets to motorized traffic on weekends and during public holidays. These recreational facilities can be moved from one place to an-other, wherever and whenever needed.

Exactly, Why not closing one or two cross streets for Friday night moonlight Milongas? As we know also Finns are great tangueros, so bring the tango to the streets! It is possible to let the bon vivant out even within a modest Finn, it just requires space, a space meant for enjoyment, denuded of noise and distraction. Enjoying life is about those few moments; they depend on so little.

Just as important as the wellbeing of the environment, is the social wellbeing that also increases the quality of life. There are the corners in the world, where it is enough to get basic needs such as drinking water fulfilled each day, while somewhere else the recreational perspective has a bigger value. Combining these two one can bring recreation to a very simple and fundamental level, for example in the heat of dancing in an open public space – the street.

For 2011-2012 Philips is committed to building on the Livable City program’s strengths to further recognize meaningful innovations which make a real difference to people’s lives