Share this on:
 E-mail
812
VIEWS
 
RECOMMENDS
16
SHARES
About this iReport
  • Not vetted for CNN

  • Click to view Erisac's profile
    Posted May 19, 2008 by
    Location
    Manila, Philippines
    Assignment
    Assignment
    This iReport is part of an assignment:
    Just Imagine

    More from Erisac

    What ever happened to this futuristic mobile home?

     
    This is a picture of GMC's concept truck — combination vehicle and residence — for Los Angeles called the "PAD." This created quite a buzz when it hit the news a couple of years ago. It was basically envisioned by General Motors’ designers as "an urban loft with mobility". While some auto industry folks gave this an official "zero chance of production", the Institute for the Future (IFTF) saw it as a lot more realistic vision of the future than it may at first appear. While some may perceive PAD as a culmination of America’s fascination with SUVs, IFTF’s Technology Horizons program which is focused on the theme of "lightweight infrastructure, considered this as a viable lightweight alternative to the traditional home or apartment. Moreover, if the concept embodied by PAD really caught on, IFTF predicted the emergence of temporary cities; ushering in a whole new form of urbanism based on nomadism and reconfigurable cities. These new infrastructure designs, according to IFTF, will emphasize smaller, smarter, more independent components that can be organized in ways that are more efficient, more flexible, and more secure than the capital-intensive networks of the 20th century. Lightweight infrastructure will allow urban planners to rapidly prototype new forms of settlement as needs and constraints shift from day to day. Talk about trailer parks the size of a city! The only question now is: does anybody know if this concept has actually gone from the drawing board to an actual creation of a prototype? By the way, ITTF is a non-profit research organization located in Palo Alto, California. Founded in 1968, the Institute conducts basic research on the futures of emerging technologies, health, and global business trends. It also works with clients on targeted research projects.

    What do you think of this story?

    Select one of the options below. Your feedback will help tell CNN producers what to do with this iReport. If you'd like, you can explain your choice in the comments below.
    Be and editor! Choose an option below:
      Awesome! Put this on TV! Almost! Needs work. This submission violates iReport's community guidelines.

    Comments

    Log in to comment

    iReport welcomes a lively discussion, so comments on iReports are not pre-screened before they post. See the iReport community guidelines for details about content that is not welcome on iReport.

    Add your Story Add your Story