Concept

HERO Safe System for Cities

Designer: Elena Lašaitė

Vilnius Academy of Arts

When walking along the streets in big cities, the designer often felt insecurity and fear because of the cars, buses and other transport driving so fast. The vehicles are like a weapon that can injure or even kill pedestrians. To avoid this, large blocks of steel and concrete have been appearing in these cities, especially near places of great importance. Some are very unergonomic and stop people from moving freely – and if there’s ever mass panic, it’s often hard to evacuate around them. HERO is a means of preventing attacks and accidents where a vehicle is involved, with form and aesthetics being the main goal of the project. It is designed to adapt fluently to city infrastructure and adds useful features, like bicycle racks at the ends and an area for plants in the middle. You can add further features too, like a rubbish bin separated into sections for recycling. There’s even space for a bulletin board. And the form is highlighted by LED lighting. HERO can become a hero of the city by adding individual names. Every city has special places and by adding these place names and graphic elements you can create personas that protect the citizens of the city. They can become place to meet, places for discussions, or just memorable spots in a busy urban environment.