New York City's Tech Design Challenge

Just a decade ago, you couldn't go anywhere without seeing a payphone. Typically, there were at least a few at every shopping center, gas station and even banks of payphones on the sidewalk in most cities. These days, the payphone has gone the way of the dinosaur, and spotting one in the wild can be difficult. As more and more people began carrying phones of their own, the need for the payphone diminished and the once-common bank of payphones started to be viewed as an eyesore.

As a result, many cities have done away with the public payphone banks on their sidewalks. However, during Hurricane Sandy, many New York City residents, after being faced with extended power outages and lack of cell signal, relied on these coin operated phones to communicate with the outside world. Because payphones get their power from copper phone lines rather than an electrical outlet, they work even when the power goes out. For people who are unable to find a place to charge their cellular phones and who don't have landlines in their homes, these payphones provided a vital communications link.

This sudden need for payphones during a natural disaster has caused the city of New York to re-think the way that payphones are utilized in the city. The city is challenging the tech industry to come up with new ways to meet the changing communication needs of the city. At the monthly New York Tech Meetup last week, the city's Chief Digital Officer issued a challenge by asking for designs and ideas for a more versatile communications center that includes charging stations, free Wi-Fi hotspots and even interactive touchscreen information panels.

The city's desire to change the way they use their existing payphone banks isn't new. In fact, over the past year, they have begun adding wireless hotspots to payphone kiosk in certain areas of the city. In November, they replaced 10 existing payphone kiosks in Union Square with 32-inch interactive touchscreens that display helpful information like maps, entertainment listings and public service announcements.

In order to further their goal, the city has announced the Reinvent Payphones Design Challenge. The challenge is to design a great communication kiosk that will help bring the city's 11,412 payphones into the digital era. Designers have until February 18, 2013 to submit their entries. From there, 15 semi-finalists will present their designs to a panel of judges who will narrow things down to just three finalists. Then, the designs will be presented to the city in order to make the final determination.

What do you think a modern communication hub should look like? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Photo Source: MorgueFile