POST-COVID19 PUBLIC POLICY: Digital & Flexible Zoning, Augmented Reality (AR), and the Future of Public Space

By Grace Littlefield, Brady Penn, and Brandon Bordenkircher, with Nick Brown

(This is 12 Tone Consulting’s third article in our “POST-COVID19 PUBLIC POLICY” series that looks to cover future public policy considerations beyond COVID19.)

Introduction

The coronavirus has upended every aspect of modern life and, according to projections, could last up to 18 months as breakouts occur sporadically. This prolonged crisis will have an impact on our collective behavior and how we interact with our natural world. It’s changing the way we dine, work, socialize, and the way we think about public space. Think about it.

Have you gone to the grocery store? Was it packed? Were you hyper aware of anyone closer than six feet to you? Did you notice the lines on the floor near the checkout area to make sure people kept a six foot distance from each other while they waited to pay for their food? Have you seen pictures of sports stadiums, McCormick Place in Chicago or Central Park in New York City or the hotels in Chicago & New York City that were repurposed into makeshift hospitals? If you’ve seen or heard of any of these things happening, then you’ve probably thought about public space a little differently lately.

In this article we plan to discuss the ways in which solutions like flexible zoning and technologies like augmented reality (AR), and digital zoning will be utilized not only for the next health crisis, pandemic or natural disaster, but also how these solutions can be utilized during our daily lives as society becomes more technologically advanced.

The Future of Public Space

The effects of COVID19 on our behaviors will last far after the virus peaks (e.g. the end of handshakes, the end of brick and mortar stores, the switch from in person events to virtual events, etc). There are several things we should consider from a city planning and technological aspect. Below are some ideas on how we can utilize space and technology in the post-COVID19 era.

1. Flexible Zoning

During the pandemic we saw public spaces reutilized all across the world. It’s important to remember that these places were zoned for specific uses. When the government decides to repurpose a public space during an emergency, it can do so with great ease. This is something that we might want to consider after the virus dissipates.

Zoning is a great tool used to protect certain areas (allowing residential areas to be separated from polluting, noisy industrial plants), as well as encouraging/discouraging certain types of development (e.g. stopping a porn theatre from being built too close to a school). But there are issues with our current zoning laws; for starters, they can be too rigid. Zoning should be flexible in order to serve the public interest broadly (e.g. accommodate industry or commerce, overcrowding or vacancies, trolleys or self-driving vehicles). The solution: flexible zoning. Flexible zoning will give local communities the ability to be nimble on a daily basis, not just when disaster hits.

2. Digital Zoning

Is there a way we can regulate physical space by regulating technology? Various cities and public venues around the world have discussed implementing “tech-free zones,” by way of “digital zoning.” Why is digital zoning important? When Pokemon Go launched, it caused many issues with strangers walking on to private property in order to play the game. Many municipalities began suggesting restricted zoning for the digital games meaning the game/technology wouldn’t work in certain zoned areas.

The City of Chicago could zone certain areas (e.g. the lakefront trail which is currently off limits to citizens) as a digital no-go zone during the shelter in place order. This would certainly make some folks less eager to jog and hang out if they are unable to utilize their cellular or wifi signals.

Another potential idea: use digital zoning for digital ticketing. Think of it as a digital redlight camera. If you set foot in an area that is off limits (e.g. the lakefront) your geotagged phone can instantly be sent a citation/ticket for trespassing.

Digital zoning also has the potential to provide value to building owners, community residents, and small-business creation in the form of “virtual amenity taxes.” There is an amenities war going on (e.g. buildings offering their residents free e-scooters, free internet, and swimming pools). As of yet buildings are not offering anything in the digital/virtual space. This could be a game changer.

3. Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (or AR) is the application of technology to superimpose images/text onto the physical world we see (e.g. “Minority Report” or “Iron Man” style of interactivity). There are many applications for AR when it comes to physical space and public health. The first application is to assist with social distancing. Those taped lines on your grocery store floor near the checkout, could be virtual lines on the ground that appear on your AR glasses (e.g. Google Glass, etc) when there is a public health crisis.

AR compounded with geolocation or bluetooth technology could also let you know the number of people that are in a public space at that moment, it could also let you know if it is safe to enter at all due to capacity. Google can currently predict how crowded your bus or train will be. Geolocation and AR can help shoppers not only predict how many people will be in a store at a certain time, but also show them how many people are physically in the store at that moment. If it’s packed, you probably won’t want to risk going in and wait.

AR can also measure distance virtually and there are several AR measuring tape applications already on the market. These tools could be used to help show us how far away we are from other people and could warn us if people get closer than 6 feet.

Moving Forward

Culture is changing the way we perceive public space and because of this, it will change the way we utilize public space in the future. The solutions and recommendations above have the potential to assist cities not only during a public health crisis, but during prosperous times as well. One thing that will inevitably have to happen prior to making AR and digital zoning possible is 5G. Digital zoning will rely on precise “millimeter accuracy” geofencing that is able to pinpoint physical positioning. Due to the need of this precision, a 5G network is crucial.

Researchers have pointed out the need to regulate technology companies, but very few have looked to public institutions as partners and collaborators. We think there is a lot of potential for developing AR for public good and hope to see public private partnerships in the years to come.