Miami, July 22, 2021 – The Idea Center at Miami Dade College (MDC), in partnership with Moonlighter FabLab and Lyft Scooters, announced the winning concept from this year’s Reimagining Cities Program, a 20-week course and residency that teaches the principles of design thinking, tactical urbanism, and digital fabrication in the context of shaping public spaces. This year, participants were asked to reimagine safer public spaces in a post-pandemic world.
“The Oasis,” the winning design, created by Lina Castañeda and Mildred Lluch, consists of two ribboning structures that fold into various functional configurations including seating elements, planters, and shading canopies. These two structures frame a central mini courtyard dedicated to wellness and mindfulness programming where students can come together to meditate, practice yoga, or host other group activities that foster new connections between them and the community. “The Oasis” was selected for its focus on wellness and mental health support as well as its simple and effective design.
This fall semester, the 11 students in the course will collaborate at the Moonlighter Fabrication Lab to build a full-scale pop-up of The Oasis at the Wolfson Campus with a scooter parking infrastructure. An unveiling event will be held in mid-November.
The focus of this year’s design prompt was to reimagine safer public spaces in Miami in the post-pandemic world. As mobility is a key component to the city’s shared urban spaces, Lyft Scooters partnered with Reimagining Cities to generate novel ideas for micro mobility infrastructure, specifically scooter parking that is designed by Miamians for the City of Miami.
“This partnership and the project that has emerged from this year’s Reimagining Cities Program has the potential to shape the micro mobility infrastructure solutions that will serve the City of Miami by keeping it clutter free while enhancing the options for alternative transportation in the urban context,” said Gustavo Grande, The Idea Center at MDC’s director of programs.
Participants in this year’s Moonlighter Art + Design Innovation Residency (AIR) Program are getting additional resources thanks to the generous support of the Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation CreArte Grant. Each creative in the residency received a full scholarship for the program, a one-year access to Moonlighter FabLab to produce their personal work and a stipend to build the winning project.
Projects were judged by representatives from industry partners, including REEF Technologies, The Street Plans Collaborative, Dover Kohl & Partners, Studio James Brazil, and MHCP Collab, who also served as guest lecturers discussing the various real-world projects that are currently shaping communities.
About The Idea Center at Miami Dade College
The Idea Center @MDC is the college’s groundbreaking hub of innovation, the place where students from all disciplines can gather, collaborate and take advantage of resources and training to develop their entrepreneurial ideas. Through cutting-edge entrepreneurship education, professional development and experiential learning, students and community members can acquire the tools needed to identify challenges and develop solutions. The Idea Center’s core programs include Startup Challenge, CREATE accelerator, Impact Miami, Reimagining Cities, the Pioneers@MDC monthly speaker series and the Mike Fernandez Global Business Leadership Series, to name a few. For more information, visit www.theideacenter.co
About the Reimagining Cities Program
This course teaches the principles of design thinking, digital fabrication, and rapid prototyping in the context of shaping better public spaces through tactical urbanism. Ideally suited for artists, designers, engineers, and creatives looking to augment their talent with digital skills to make a mark on their city. Students learn fundamental design concepts, CAD/CAM techniques, and how to apply them to solve urban challenges with creative solutions. At the end of the course, students develop and build a three-dimensional prototype of their designs and one of the teams is selected to be built as a full-scale pop-up. Learn more at https://theideacenter.co/programs/reimaginingcities/
About the Moonlighter Art + Design Innovation Residency (AIR Program)
The AIR program is a one-year residency developed by Moonlighter FabLab to empower creatives with skill building opportunities, professional mentorship, and provides access to digital fabrication tools to realize works that help shape a better future. Funding for this program is generously supported by the Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation CreArte Grant. The focus for the program in 2021 is Reimagining Public Spaces for a Post-Covid Era. Artists, Designers, and innovators will be tasked with researching and realizing new ideas for making public spaces safe, with consideration of effective materials, forms derived by distancing guidelines, and other factors that help build community while adapting to the new normal. AIR will provide a full scholarship to the Reimagining Cities Program in The Idea Center at Miami Dade College where participants will learn the fundamental skills to prototype their ideas, receive feedback from professionals in the field, and collaborate as a group to build one project full scale. The residency also provides participants with access to Moonlighter FabLab which includes 3D printers, Laser Cutters, CNC, Vacuum Formers, and other advanced manufacturing equipment to help build their projects. Learn more at https://moonlighterfablab.org/air-residency/
About Moonlighter FabLab
Moonlighter FabLab is a 501(c)3 non-profit S.T.E.A.M. Learning Center and Fabrication Lab in Miami, Florida dedicated to empowering makers with the skills, tools, and opportunities to shape a better future. Our mission is realized through our four pillars: Education – via our STEAM Learning Center, Access – via our Shared Fabrication Lab, Collaboration – via our Community Projects, Outreach – via our annual Maker Faire Miami and other community events/activations.
Learn more at https://moonlighterfablab.org/
About CreARTE | Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation
Funding for this program is generously supported by the Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation CreArte Grant. The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation fulfills the philanthropic vision of Jorge M. Pérez, chairman and CEO of The Related Group, and his family to develop South Florida as an exemplary world-class urban center. The family foundation promotes sustainable, inclusive and just communities by supporting programs and organizations focused on arts and culture, health and well-being, education, environment and economic development – with a particular preference for programs and organizations that could serve as models for other urban centers. For more information, please visit www.jmperezfamilyfoundation.org
About Lyft
Lyft was founded in 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation, and is available to 95 percent of the United States population as well as select cities in Canada. Lyft is committed to effecting positive change for our cities and making cities more livable for everyone through initiatives that bridge transportation gaps, and by promoting transportation equity through shared rides, bikeshare systems, electric scooters, and public transit partnerships. Riders in Miami can experience scootershare, rideshare, car rental, and transit information via the Lyft platform.
For more information, please contact Gustavo Grande at 305-237-7821, ggrande@mdc.edu.