Imagine yourself leaving Blueberry Hill on a Saturday night. You and your date aren't quite ready to go home, but you're certainly not going to another bar. You check your phone, and see that within walking distance there's a comedy show, flash mob, book signing, and house party. Voila, you have something to do tonight.
If this seems almost utopian to you, it's no surprise, nothing like this exists—yet. But Brain Drain, a collective of recent WashU graduates “dedicated to enhancing the vitality of cities,” is in the process of changing that with CityPulse.
CityPulse, first presented at the St. Louis GOOD Ideas for Cities event in March, begins as a collection of modern-looking cylindrical lights placed strategically around the city. These lights, also known as “beacons,” house infrared motion sensors which sense activity in a certain area. When the sensors are activated, information is sent through the CityPulse network. This beacon is then illuminated on the CityPulse map—available on any computer, smart phone, or tablet—along with any information geotagged in the area from social networks like Foursquare and Twitter. Scavenger hunts, fun facts, and city tips will also be displayed on the CityPulse map, along with promotional sales and coupons from local shops.
Essentially, CityPulse would be a great big map keeping you connected with your surroundings in real time. The website went live yesterday (braindrain.co/citypulse), and it looks promising. While the CityPulse beacons will be permanent installations, Brain Drain member Tara Pham says a temporary pilot program is on its way.
“We're planning a campaign for pop-up beacons to be dispersed around the city as an early-on proof on concept,” says Pham. “That would ideally be happening by the end of the year.”
Pham says they are hoping to begin installing permanent beacons as new developments start breaking ground around the city, but no locations have been set in stone. To learn more about CityPulse and keep up with its development, visit braindrain.co/citypulse.
