Should we control the climate of our city spaces? Temperature has a definite impact on people’s behavior. Could we influence that behavior by adjusting the temperature? We took a hair dryer to our temperature sensor and it really affected our outputs.

What’s a New Yorker’s time worth? As they rush from one place to another it would seem that their time is very valuable. But would they take the time to pick a penny off the side walk? A nickel? A quarter or even a dollar?

What if our cities were friendlier? They’re often large, crowded places that can make people feel cold, and isolated but what would happen if we injected them with some warmth and hospitality? What if even street messaging was more polite? We’ll conduct an experiment using greeters and notes on things like garbage cans to find out.

Should sidewalks tell you what to do? Order in different cultures comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Can we create our own? To find out we’ll lay down walking lanes with arrows to direct foot traffic in a particular way.

Is being connected slowing us down? There are a sea of ways people can communicate with each other today. But how does that affect the other aspects of our commute. To experiment with this notion, we’re arranging a cell phone flash mob via social media and other street level tactics.

Does authority make us feel more comfortable? People draw the line between security and liberty in different places. We’re renting and planting security to stand on Fifth Avenue to explore these differences.

Can a sense of optimism be a city resource? City dwellers are steeped in a culture of practicality and realism. But could something as simple and impractical as a balloon change the tone of the city?

Can our cities be better multi-taskers? We’re going to examine the effect of re-purposing our urban spaces. What will we learn about the way we utilize the spaces we use everyday?

Should we build our cities around nature instead of over it? New Yorkers are constantly bombarded by the man-made noises like construction and traffic. What would happen if we introduced sounds of backyard birds to the streets of New York?

Should fun be designed into our cities? Recess ends after elementary school, but what would happen if we instituted a city-wide initiative to play? We’ll create hopscotch courses and see if people allow themselves a moment of unadulterated fun.