Could we elevate the ubiquitous swipe to improve our cities?
Every day millions of people, young and old, collectively make 1.6bn swipes on profiles they’re presented with on Tinder, one of the most popular dating apps. These swipes either send that profile to the virtual dustbin (left) or open up the potential for witty banter, dates, marriage and eternal happiness (right). Could this simple, quick and brutally effective engagement mechanism be used to allow citizens to build other long term relationships, namely ones with the communities where they live?
Multiple scorecards, but where’s the user data?
Cities can learn about being age-friendly (WHO), livable (AARP), successful at aging (Milken), resilient (Rockefeller), innovative (World Economic Forum) and generally cool (Monocle). Bloomberg is developing a data-driven framework for helping cities figure out “what works”. These use reams of statistics, but do they really connect with what residents (and maybe even tourists) care about on a daily basis? Surveys and focus groups are expensive and generally just one off affairs, not large scale and real time ‘conversations’. Tinder for Towns could change that.
A swipe on a picture – worth a thousand words?
Images create engagement. Facebook users upload 250 millions photos per day, meaning its data centers are groaning under the weight of 350 billion pictures. Instagram’s archive, with a mere 34 billion snaps, still no doubt uses more than a few shoeboxes. People from all demographics are used to taking and sharing images. Could residents communicate their preferences about their city with pictures and swipes? In such a scenario, location-aware, smart phone-equipped citizens would take pictures, comment (or tag) to their heart’s content and share images as feedback to the city. What works, and what doesn’t, in real time, at scale. Each swipe on a photo can be seen as a ‘vote’ (not a completely novel idea) – whether it’s on a pothole that needs to be filled, a restaurant that doesn’t have wheelchair access, or a compliment about good service by the cable guy.
‘Democracities’
In a time when democracy itself is in serious danger, maybe these conversations can be part of a rapprochement with voters? Cities are generally designed for the young and the rich and or the influential lobby group (e.g. the car industry in the US). Those with less political muscle can be excluded, hence the job of elected representatives to represent the voice of the citizens. Cities that work for the older and disenfranchised, will generally work for all. There are some examples of cities using tech to work better for the most vulnerable, in particular around maps, such as Google crowdsourcing their Local Guides, AccessMap and London-based Accomable (recently purchased by Airbnb).
A few questions
While the idea of a sea of data is fun, a few questions to mull over:
- Should a private company (Faceboook, Google) do this or make it a public commons?
- How to ensure the most vulnerable and least tech-savvy also get to play?
- How to give people a sense that their swipes are being ‘listened to’ and something happens?
- Might this actually exacerbate racial, social and demographic divisions?
- Could this connect people around common interests / concerns? (MIMBYs)
