News 06.09.2021

Need to know

A green-fingered future for Scandinavian urban living, Netflix commits to broadening empathy in animation and London gets louder during the pandemic.

Food unites citizens in Norway’s verdant future city

Powered by Ulsteinvik by Kaleidoscope Nordic, Norway
Powered by Ulsteinvik by Kaleidoscope Nordic, Norway
Powered by Ulsteinvik by Kaleidoscope Nordic, Norway

Norway – The interplay between nature and the built environment takes centre stage in the proposal for Powered by Ulsteinvik, a verdant vision for urban living in Scandinavia that draws on local natural resources to grow food and power local buildings.

Designed by architects Kaleidoscope Nordic, this future city would be situated close to the sea, with a focus on creating a pleasurable space for people to work and live. Alongside a smart grid and automated electric buses, Powered by Ulsteinvik will utilise the local land’s natural energy to create circular neighbourhoods, using rainwater for food and flower growing. Community is also central to this future Equilibrium City, with shared kitchens for residents to cook and eat together, as well as ‘generation gardens’ where kindergartens, elderly care and medical facilities can immerse people in green spaces – something that is proven to be health-positive.

In particular, this proposal also emphasises how, in certain regions, green spaces can help people to connect but also reclaim independence and security through activities like food-growing that are also inherently more eco-friendly. In New Urban Farms, we examine the cross-over between food technology and ancient farming techniques in use in global cities.

Strategic opportunity

From shared kitchens to cook-along events, food brands can help people to reconnect with one another and their local food heritage, working with public spaces or institutions to foster community and cohesion

OnRepeat refills tackle beauty’s packaging problem

On Repeat, UK On Repeat, UK
On Repeat, UK On Repeat, UK

UK – Refillable products have grown across the beauty and personal care sectors, but the distribution of refills can still result in more packaging and waste than necessary – something OnRepeat wants to tackle with a B2B service that quickly and efficiently delivers refills directly to customers’ doors.

Offering a next-day service, OnRepeat’s beauty refill packaging is postable and eco-conscious in design, made with biodegradable materials including a non-toxic film that dissolves in hot water. It works directly with brands to stock their beauty or soap refills, which it then sends directly on to customers. With a mission to reduce waste in the beauty industry, the company is said to be in conversation with organisations such as the British Beauty Council, The Sustainability Coalition and A Plastic Planet to collectively solve beauty’s plastic problem.

While refillable beauty products and services originated as a premium offer, OnRepeat wants to make its service as broad and eco-venient as possible. Co-founder Micaela Nisbet tells Dezeen: ‘For us to do that, the service needs to be super-easy and cost-effective for both brands and consumers. Because if it isn't, people are not going to come back to it.’

Strategic opportunity

Alongside the eco-benefits found in refill packaging, brands can explore third-party fulfilment services as a way to ensure repeat or subscription custom, allowing them to focus their energy on new customer wins

Netflix invites neurodiverse and Latinx voices into animation

US – The streaming platform is launching an autumn 2021 mentorship programme targeting amateur animators from under-represented backgrounds. The initiative aims to broaden opportunities for young, undiscovered talent while also using animation to prompt empathy.

The four-month-long Netflix Animation Foundations Program has been conceived with a number of intersectional partners. Exceptional Minds is an autism education organisation that offers technical skills in the digital arts, allowing neurodiverse perspectives to enhance the entertainment industries.

Meanwhile, LatinX in Animation unites a talented pool of Latinx innovators in animation, VFX and gaming, providing them with resources to develop their careers. Young creatives will be matched with a mentor from Netflix’s Animation Studio who will help them navigate the industry.

As well as recognising that diverse talent must sit behind the camera to truly commit to an inclusive workplace, Netflix is elevating its storytelling with neurodiverse and Latinx voices. Our Q&A with Wattpad Studios explains why the future of Hollywood will be both democratic and diverse.

Netflix Animation Foundations Program, US

Strategic opportunity

To authentically connect with individual viewers, entertainment brands must do away with gatekeepers and bring a variety of perspectives into their writing rooms and creative studios

Stat: London got noisier, not quieter, during lockdown

Bee Bus Stops by Clear Channel & Leicester City Council Bee Bus Stops by Clear Channel & Leicester City Council

While cities were deemed quiet sanctuaries during the lockdown periods of 2020, London was louder than ever. A new study by researchers at University College London (UCL) found that noise complaints in London rose by 48% during the Covid-19 lockdown, compared with the same period in spring 2019.

With more people using their new-found free time for housing renovations, complaints about construction showed a significant increase of 36%, along with neighbourhood noise (50%). The report also found that noise complaints had soared in areas with higher unemployment rates, meaning this study could help the government allocate resources more effectively and ultimately achieve a more comfortable urban environment.

Silence is increasingly considered a luxury in our noisy urban epicentres. To find out where brands can step in and create solutions for serenity, read our Silent Homes microtrend.

Strategic opportunity

Many consumers may have fled to the countryside, but brands should focus on creating home solutions that reclaim domestic serenity for citizens who have no choice but to stay in cities

Previous News Articles
The Fashion Innovation Agency debuts 3D garment volumetric capture service

News

The Fashion Innovation Agency debuts 3D garment volumetric capture service

The Fashion Innovation Agency at London College of Fashion has launched Reskinning Reality, the UK’s first 3D garment volumetric capture service ai...
Fashion : Technology : Virtual Fashion
Elemis brings beauty trackside with new Aston Martin F1 collection

News

Elemis brings beauty trackside with new Aston Martin F1 collection

Premium beauty brand Elemis is stepping further into the world of Formula 1 with the launch of four exclusive skincare collections in partnership w...
Aston Martin : Elemis : Formula 1
Stat: US cinema execs predict the end of traditional moviegoing within 20 years 

News

Stat: US cinema execs predict the end of traditional moviegoing within 20 years 

Over half of cinema executives in the US believe the traditional cinema model will no longer be viable within the next 20 years, according to a new...
Movies : Entertainment : Stat
 New clubhouse for women’s sports retail opens in London

News

New clubhouse for women’s sports retail opens in London

A new retail concept is putting women’s sport centre stage this summer.
Sports : Retail : Fashion
Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, ...
Foresight Friday : Fashion : Sustainability
Stat: Nearly half of women feel misunderstood by brands

News

Stat: Nearly half of women feel misunderstood by brands

Despite driving an estimated £25 trillion ($31.8 trillion, €29.4 trillion) in global discretionary spending, nearly half of women worldwide say bra...
Branding & Advertising : Brands : Retail
Modem’s Dream Recorder turns sleep into spatial storytelling

News

Modem’s Dream Recorder turns sleep into spatial storytelling

Dutch design studio Modem has unveiled Dream Recorder, an AI-powered device that transforms spoken memories of dreams into cinematic video se...
Technology : Modem : Dreams
Australia approves nation’s first lab-grown meat for high-end menus

News

Australia approves nation’s first lab-grown meat for high-end menus

Australia has approved its first lab-grown meat products, with Sydney-food-tech start-up Vow set to serve cultured quail dishes in upscale restaura...
Cultivated Meat : Lab-grown Meat : Lab Grown
Stat: America’s millionaire class is growing faster than ever

News

Stat: America’s millionaire class is growing faster than ever

According to UBS’s 2025 Global Wealth Report, more than 1,000 people became millionaires every day in America in 2024.
Wealth : Society : The Great Wealth Transfer
Instagram champions creative risk-taking with star-studded global campaign

News

Instagram champions creative risk-taking with star-studded global campaign

As Instagram approaches its 15th anniversary, the platform has launched a new campaign spotlighting creativity on social media. Entitled Anyway, th...
Instagram : Social Media : Creativity
You have 1 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN