Lois Blackwell
MA Design Innovation
Transposing Timelines speculatively projects the influence of the Metaverse on Manchester City Centre and its contemporary urban challenges. We are currently living in an era where the lines between physical and digital are becoming blurred, and whilst research has measured its financial value over the coming years, it is now time to measure the impact it will have on our environment, society & experiences. As communities come together over their unhappiness with the cost of living, green space and equality, will their collective narrative set the stage for the engaging story which augmented reality and future adaptions of the metaverse have been waiting for?
When designing in the virtual world, it is crucial we do not forget the physical. The metaverse provides an opportunity for local authorities, designers and urban planners to rethink cities of the future, and while for some it may be too soon to appreciate its impact, its not too soon to ask... Is the metaverse ready for us?
In order to avoid a digital dystopia, Transposing Timelines proposes an optimistic scenario in which the digital and physical city compliment one another, allowing Manchester City Centre to lead on the forefront of delivery in the digital era, whilst also allowing communities ‘the right to disconnect.’
Are you ready for the metaverse? Are our cities?
