New Lab City

Designing a smart-city and mobility platform that enables entrepreneurs to flourish.

New Lab City is an initiative by New Lab which aims to create impact and value via data capturing and an urban installation, using the area of Downtown Brooklyn, NY, as a test-bed for this first edition. We researched how we could use data to create actual change: for this, we chose to focus on trash. We designed the concept for a pilot system around real-time trash tracking connected to a data brokering platform that together would bring value to entrepreneurs, city stakeholders and citizens.

99

Start-Ups Mapped

164

Smart Cities Mapped

65

Projects Identified

189

Articles Analyzed

THE CHALLENGE

New Lab City in Downtown Brooklyn aimed to solve urban issues by tracking real-time data through a sensor box placed across the city. Our challenge was to understand what type of data can be tracked, what it could measure and what type of change could be created to bring real value to entrepreneurs, city stakeholders and citizens.

THE TRANSFORMATION APPROACH

Over four months, we went from problem identification to scenarios for piloting. From the most pressing urban issues, we chose trash as the challenge, designing a system around real-time trash tracking connected to a data brokering platform that together bring value to entrepreneurs, city stakeholders and citizens.

 

Research involved studying 189 articles globally, mapping 99 startups, and identifying 65 projects. The approach combined global insights with local perspectives, emphasizing piloting, ethical data use, and clarity in data collection’s purpose and value.

"Since Newlab first opened at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 2016, we've seen first hand how supporting innovation can create jobs. Newlab supports over 300 startups who have collectively raised over $5.8B in capital, a critical component of New York's innovation today and in the future."

- Cam Lawrence, CEO at NewLab,

THE IMPACT

Mapping 164 Smart City entities showcased startup leadership. Detailed studies of ten startups and nine projects emphasized the importance of piloting, ethical data use, and defining the purpose and value of data collection. Discoveries included triggering services with real-time data, natural/biological sensors, mood tracking, and innovative use of urban infrastructures.

THE COMMUNITY LENS

New Lab City prioritized local challenges in Brooklyn, aiming to create Resilient Cities. Stakeholder interviews, online research, and field observations ensured an understanding of community-specific context and challenges. With 353 references compiled in a database, the project aligns with the community’s vision, contributing meaningfully to urban resilience.

Explore New Lab

Project Team:

Bala Gürcan, Begüm Ural, Carla Lemgruber, Ece Pek, Emre Sarıkaya, Engin Ayaz, Fırat Okucu, Harun Köktürk, José Morell-Ducós, Kerem Alper, Mert Çetinkaya, Özgür Şahin, Serdar Paktin

Project Lead:

Carla Lemgruber, Mert Çetinkaya

Network:

Cristin Dorgelo
Igal Nassima, Meghan Nelson, Tyler Pridgen (Superbright)

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