Institute For The Future

Artifact from the Future: Healthy Block Project

This Artifact from the Future is an example of products, services, and experiences that may play out in the future based on the forecast perspective EMPATHY: The Rise of Technologies to Expand Emotional Connections from our 2013 Reworking Health: New Authorities in a Well-Being Economy research.

HEALTHY BLOCK PROJECT

WHAT:

It had been there so long that it’s hard for you to imagine anything other than a vacant lot on the corner of Walnut and 7th Street. But now, using the Healthy Block Project app, you can literally see it. The project started when some high school kids superimposed an augmented reality recorded video of a park in a neighboring city onto the vacant lot. The local non-profit insurance provider CareNogero jumped on board, creating the app and encouraging more people to tell stories about their visions for the vacant lot. A new park was the clear winner. Your community coalition then raised funds, materials, and labor to construct the park, breaking it down to micro-contributions with the app. Now, as you walk over, shovel in hand, making your shared vision a reality feels within your grasp.

SO WHAT:

While the social and environmental determinants of health are becoming targets of upstream investment, focusing vision and resources is still challenging. Stories—particularly those people co-create—have always been a way to inspire people to take action. Like today, people will use digital media to help others understand their challenges and aspirations and to request resources from the crowd. More immersive forms of media present an unprecedented opportunity to help people visualize healthy futures that are radically outside their previous experiences, inspiring new kinds of community health initiatives.

This Artifact from the Future is a snapshot of what might emerge if forecasts about the future materialize. It was developed as part of our 2013 Reworking Health: New Authorities in a Well-Being Economy research, which explored the new tools and resources that are challenging traditional roles of patients, consumers and providers and empowering new authorities to emerge and engage people in their health.

Like all of IFTF’s Artifacts from the Future, this image offers insights into future everyday lives and is intended to give you an immersive look at a possible future change.