Design and technology consultancy Hirsch & Mann are set to transform everyday pedestrian crossings into playful multi-sensory experiences after winning the 2016 Playable City Award.

Artists, designers, architects, technologists and creative practitioners from all over the world were invited to propose distinctive ideas to reuse city infrastructure and utilise smart city technologies “to put people and play at the heart of the future city.”

Eight projects out of 81 applications from 34 countries were shortlisted for their entries, which responded to the theme 'Journeys.'

Hirsch & Mann’s 'Stop, Smile, Stroll' is an intervention at pedestrian crossings that brings strangers together for “a serendipitous shared moment” that interrupts their everyday stop and walk routine.

Pedestrians will press a button to cross the road. When the light goes green for them, sounds, lights, images and other transformations will bring the crosswalk to life, encouraging passers by and people in the cars to participate as much as they choose.

The transformations will reference local data points, aiming to be relevant to their communities, and range from “a 30-second party to a moment of quiet reflection.”

The studio will receive £30,000 (€33,300, US$37,000) to develop and test their ideas in Bristol, before touring to other Playable City cities globally.

The award was established by Bristol film, culture and digital media centre Watershed in a bid to explore how the cities of the future might be made more connected and engaging through creative design ideas that are directly rooted in the specific city environment.

Cities including Lagos, Recife and Tokyo have piloted schemes supported by Watershed.

Previous projects that have won the Playable City Award include Shadowing, which gives memory to city lights, enabling them to record and play back the shadows of those who passed underneath; Urbanimals, a playful pack of origami-like wild beasts who appear in unexpected places across the city; Empath, an audio-augmented reality experience that enables you to become someone else and navigate their life based on real-world decisions; and Hello Lamp Post, a simple text messaging system that allows people to start conversations with city objects like bus shelters and parking meters.

Could our future cities use technology to bring fun and surprise into our lives?

Arup predict a future of smart, interactive, conscious cities

Architecture and neuroscience – Conscious Cities conference will explore the connection