In the city of the future we have to keep looking for new ways to capture or generate green energy. Solar panels are a great example, but there are ways which are even smarter! Let me introduce you to the Current Window.

The Current Window is a modern version of stained glass. The glass contains small solar cells which can capture the energy of the sunlight during the day and collect it in a small box attached to the window. You can plug your phone or other small devices in the usb portal of the box and charge it with the energy captured. This electricity can be used to power a whole lot of different electrical appliances! It's a very smart solution for capturing solar power without having to use big solar panels. So even if you don't have a lot of space you can use this green power: everybody needs a window!




The great thing about this window is it's not only functional but it looks awesome! The window can be made with different patterns and in different sizes. Imagine a school filled with windows like this, it would look amazing!

I think there is a lot of growth potential with this product. I mean, if you can make a stained-glass window that captures energy, you can also make normal windows who capture energy, right? Image that if in a few years all the windows of new buildings are made with solar cells. It would definitely change a lot and it would be a step in the right direction of the world getting a little but more sustainable.

Bicycles: you can't even imagine Dutch cities without them. I myself love to ride a bike. I use it every day to go to school, work, meet friends and do groceries. It's my number one way of transportation. Wouldn't it be great if all big international cities were crowded with bikes instead of cars?







If you ask me the city of the future needs a bike of the future. Let me introduce you to the Halfbike. The Halfbike is a bike especially designed for transportation within densely populated city streets. It's a modern version of a folding bike and you can take it easily with you in trains or busses without needing a lot of space. The Halfbike has a little resemblance of a segway, but mixed with a traditional bike. Instead of sitting on a saddle, the rider stands on the peddles and leans in the direction he or she wants to go.

It think this bike has a lot of potential especially for big cities. The problem with normal bikes is that you can't take them with you in public transportation. With the Halfbike this problem is solved and you can easily use public transport in combination with your bike! Also the bike is more easy to store in your home and doesn't need a lot of space. The cherry on top is that it simple looks very stylish. Who wouldn't want to have a bike like this?

Watch the video below to see the Halfbike in action. Want your own Halfbike? You can still back the project on Kickstarter!

Welcome to Chapter five: Human Movement! This time we got the assignment to coolhunt for things within the theme 'Sustainable Cities'. How is the city of the future going to look like? I'm going to research things related to the distant future but as wel as the near future. Let's start with the last one with something very close to home.

In the city of the future there will be no doubt that the redesigning of places will become more important. If we want to live more sustainable, why build new things? It's a better start to look at the things we currently have and change them into the things we need or want. The redesigning of places is fantastic, although there might be a more simple step before totally redesigning. Let's call it 'multifunctional use of places'. Why use a place for just one purpose? If the things we use for one purpose, will get more purposes at once, there is no need to redesign places and we can make a change in a more approachable way.



Let's start with a cool example: Solar Cinema. Solar Cinema is Holland's first and only mobile cinema running on solar-power. The solar panels on the roof of the cinema store enough energy during the day in order to project a movie on a big white screen at night. Due to collaborations with different local initiatives Solar Cinema travels across the country during the summer. They pop-up at outdoor theaters, parks, festivals, back gardens and everywhere else you can think of! Solar Cinema is entirely self-sufficient and independent. Never before was watching a movie this sustainable!


Next is something you might have already seen a while ago, but it still amazes me. Designers Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel designed a new way of being buried. This egg-shaped chest is 100% biodegradable and can be planted as a seed. Cemeteries will look like never before and have a double purpose as a forest.



Last on the list is a very special place I discovered during my trip to Prague. If you've ever visited Prague, you might know it's a city that has a big underground life, literally. A lot of clubs and pubs are build in the old underground bunkers build for World War II. I think that's a pretty good idea for re-using places. There is one place in particular that is a perfect example of the multifunctional use of a place: the Parukarka bunker. From the outside it just looks like a regular bunker. A little graffiti on top, but nothing special. However, if you walk inside you will be surprised. The bunker serves as a club, a gallery, a museum and has a climbing wall inside. It's a place for learning, sports, art and having fun. What can be a better example of multifunctional use?!

Just like the redesigning of places I think the multifunctional use of places will only grow bigger. Like I said before: "If we want to live more sustainable, why build new things? It's a better start to look at the things we currently have and change them into the things we need or want." Redesigning is great, but sometimes expensive. With the multifunctional use of places there is no need to re-build things and we can re-use it without having to change everything. It is a small step before redesigning and I think it would be a big step forward for cities wanting to be more sustainable!