For the first time in history, the annual TED Prize was not awarded to an individual, but rather an idea that will greatly influence the future of our planet. The City 2.0 is the city of the future in which more than ten billion people are dependent on. Since the announcement in early December, visionaries’ world-wide have provided their input to help determine the city’s “one wish to change the world”. TED will provide $100,000 to help make it happen. Live, at the TED2012 Full Spectrum conference in Long Beach, California, the wish has been revealed! Continue reading to learn more.
The live TED session began by updating the world on the progress past recipients have made with their wish. Dr. Cynthia Parr updated us about E.O. Wilson’s wish: The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL). As of this week, EOL contains information on almost a million species, all in which is free to use and re-use. Then Arfon Smith took the stage to describe SETILIVE, an interactive site that allows you to participate in the search for intelligent life on other planets, and Sylvia Earle’s 2009 wish MISSIONBLUE which is a global coalition of partners all aimed at increasing ocean protection and restoring its health. Lastly, the 2011 TED Prize winner, JR, gave an update on his global art project, Inside Out, that transforms messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work.
Now, onto the 2012 TED Prize opening. Edward Glaesar, Harvard economist and author of The Triumph of the City, took the stage setting the context for the City 2.0. Glaesar states, “At their heart, cities are the absence of physical space between people.” We are a social species that thrive on being surrounded by other people. In the complex age of globalization and new technologies, the need for face to face contact is critical. He believes that cities are the friend of the environment and the key to a sustainable future.
