Energy Economy
Parsons School of Design at the New School | Futures Studio | 2022
Collaborators Anna Pierce + Cheenar Shah The Energy Economy was a speculative design experiment set in 2063, brought to life as a pop-up in Times Square.
It invited people to sign up for a free seven-day trial of a technology designed to harness excess thermal energy to offset living expenses.
At its core, the experiment embodied the belief that simply existing entitles individuals to access the resources needed for a full and joyful life.
Process | How it Works | Pop-Up | Outcome + Takeaways
Initial Ideations
This project was a collaboration with the Times Square Alliance, an organization founded in 1992 dedicated to improving and promoting Times Square. It was part of a Walking Tour of the Future in the heart of Times Square.
During our initial meetings, Anna, Cheenar, and I learned that, “despite comprising only 0.1% of New York City's land area, Times Square supports nearly 10% of the city's jobs and generates 15% of its economic output” (Times Square Alliance).
Early on, Anna proposed a bold vision: that Times Square, with its economic power, could secede from NYC and become its own independent country. To explore this, we engaged in "signal scanning"—a futures-thinking practice of identifying emerging trends—examining artistic interpretations of borders, like those by Ronald Real, and digital borders of the future. We also visited Times Square to photograph literal and figurative borders, exploring how the area distinguished itself from its surroundings.
As we spent more time in the space, the idea of secession faded and transformed into the concept of Times Square becoming the "people's capital," separate from the nation’s capital. It would serve as a hub for radical expression, new ways of thinking, living, and doing. We then went back to Times Square to gather public opinion on the idea. After talking to several people about the concept of a "People's Capital," the general response was, “Why would I want or need that?” It became clear that we had overlooked crucial questions about what this idea would actually address or how it would work.
The “People’s Capital” concept was, to put it bluntly, a massive flop—but this failure was pivotal to our process. It forced us to rethink our approach and better understand the complexities of the vision we were attempting to create.
This project was a collaboration with the Times Square Alliance, an organization founded in 1992 dedicated to improving and promoting Times Square. It was part of a Walking Tour of the Future in the heart of Times Square.
During our initial meetings, Anna, Cheenar, and I learned that, “despite comprising only 0.1% of New York City's land area, Times Square supports nearly 10% of the city's jobs and generates 15% of its economic output” (Times Square Alliance).
Early on, Anna proposed a bold vision: that Times Square, with its economic power, could secede from NYC and become its own independent country. To explore this, we engaged in "signal scanning"—a futures-thinking practice of identifying emerging trends—examining artistic interpretations of borders, like those by Ronald Real, and digital borders of the future. We also visited Times Square to photograph literal and figurative borders, exploring how the area distinguished itself from its surroundings.
As we spent more time in the space, the idea of secession faded and transformed into the concept of Times Square becoming the "people's capital," separate from the nation’s capital. It would serve as a hub for radical expression, new ways of thinking, living, and doing. We then went back to Times Square to gather public opinion on the idea. After talking to several people about the concept of a "People's Capital," the general response was, “Why would I want or need that?” It became clear that we had overlooked crucial questions about what this idea would actually address or how it would work.
The “People’s Capital” concept was, to put it bluntly, a massive flop—but this failure was pivotal to our process. It forced us to rethink our approach and better understand the complexities of the vision we were attempting to create.
Pivoting
After a quiet subway ride, we gathered over coffee at a small table in a crowded café. We were feeling a bit defeated, Anna especially.
She had been so sure that secession was a radical and provocative idea, but her attachment to that initial concept seemed to block other possible paths forward. I gently suggested to the group that sometimes you have to "kill your darlings," and that it might be time to let go of the secession idea.
Over several cups of coffee, we began to focus on the sheer volume of people passing through Times Square, generating 15% of the city's economic output. From that conversation, the idea of "harvesting" that motion emerged. At the time, I was training for a marathon, and I joked, "I wish I could harvest my steps to pay rent." That comment sparked a new question: Could we harvest the energy generated by the people passing through Times Square to power the area, and then eventually the city? From there, the idea snowballed.
We used a futures wheel to consider a few ways human energy harvesting could be used to “Power your city!” The day ended with the concept of the Energy Economy—a system where energy generated by individuals could be used as currency.
After a quiet subway ride, we gathered over coffee at a small table in a crowded café. We were feeling a bit defeated, Anna especially.
She had been so sure that secession was a radical and provocative idea, but her attachment to that initial concept seemed to block other possible paths forward. I gently suggested to the group that sometimes you have to "kill your darlings," and that it might be time to let go of the secession idea.
Over several cups of coffee, we began to focus on the sheer volume of people passing through Times Square, generating 15% of the city's economic output. From that conversation, the idea of "harvesting" that motion emerged. At the time, I was training for a marathon, and I joked, "I wish I could harvest my steps to pay rent." That comment sparked a new question: Could we harvest the energy generated by the people passing through Times Square to power the area, and then eventually the city? From there, the idea snowballed.
We used a futures wheel to consider a few ways human energy harvesting could be used to “Power your city!” The day ended with the concept of the Energy Economy—a system where energy generated by individuals could be used as currency.
Some Questions that came up during our futures wheel exercise:
+ What are the ethics of harvesting energy?
+ What are the ecological implications of a new currency?
+ Do people tire more quickly when their energy is harvested?
+ What happens to this energy when you die?
+ How does the body change as a result of harvesting energy?
Using world-building and storytelling, we constructed a future where the energy you created was used to pay for your cost of (speculative) living expenses, such as intergalactic wifi or groceries. It was our goal to make our pop-up experience in Times Square as immersive and realistic as possible. We wrote scripts, rehearsed them, and tested them with our friends to see if our idea made sense.
How it works
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Pop Up: props
We put together almost 100 sterilized kits with a tattoo and an alcohol swab in each.
Final Posted Design
Pop Up: in action
Anna, our Energy Agent, gave a spiel about what the product was and how it worked. I acted as an Energy Doula, and guided people through selecting their utilities and introduced them to an addendum they could add to their will. And Cheenar, an Energy Engager, installed the device (temporary tattoos) through a painless procedure and activated them (with Icy Hot) for energy collection.
Outcome + Takeaways
On Monday, May 10, 2022 we set up our pop-up on the busiest corner of Times Square we could find, and for an hour and a half, we signed-up people for a free seven-day trial of the Energy Economy.
Our professor once said, “In an experience, you want to be the bartender, not the waiter.” Meaning: you want people to come to you, rather than you going to them. Our pop-up definitely drew people in—mainly, I think, because they were curious about the fun, swirly tattoo. We intentionally infused joy, whimsy, and a bit of silliness into the experience because people respond better when they don’t have to take things too seriously. Speculative work can often be delightfully awkward and uncomfortable, but when you lean into the silliness, it opens up space for deeper insights and ideas.
While our concept was centered on harvesting human energy, the real heart of the project was creating a channel for generational wealth for people who typically don’t have access to it. When you think about kinetic or thermal energy, who is most likely to produce it daily: someone sitting in a corner office, or a food delivery cyclist? It was exciting to spark conversations about economic mobility and how that could create new opportunities for those who haven’t had the same kind of access to upward mobility in the past.
While our concept was centered on harvesting human energy, the real heart of the project was creating a channel for generational wealth for people who typically don’t have access to it. When you think about kinetic or thermal energy, who is most likely to produce it daily: someone sitting in a corner office, or a food delivery cyclist? It was exciting to spark conversations about economic mobility and how that could create new opportunities for those who haven’t had the same kind of access to upward mobility in the past.