Sharing is easy—and it helps more than you know.
1. This toilet pops up at night time when it’s needed and disappears underground during the day
2. This bench with solar-powered USB ports
3. Oslo airport shows walking times the gates
4. Albert Cuyp underwater parking garage, Amsterdam
Parking underneath a canal. Sixty of the 600 parking places in the underground garage are reserved for neighborhood visitors, the remaining are for residents of De Pijp who have a parking permit. Because many parking places are disappearing in the neighborhood, more space will become available for planting, squares and playing areas. The garage will also provide parking for 60 bicycles. For pedestrians, cyclists, and playing children, the neighborhood will vastly improve.
5. Benches in Sweden are very friend and couple friendly
6. Sensor lights in parking spaces that lit green if it’s available and red if it is occupied
7. A new path for renewable energy! Swiss startup is installing solar panels between train tracks to meet 30% of Swiss public transport’s electricity needs.
Swiss startup Sun-Ways is pioneering an innovative approach to renewable energy by installing removable solar panels between railway tracks. This patented technology aims to utilize the extensive, underused spaces within the rail network to generate clean energy without impacting the environment or landscape.
The installation process is highly efficient, with specialized trains capable of deploying up to 1,000 square meters of panels per day. These panels are designed to withstand train speeds up to 150 km/h and can be easily removed for maintenance, ensuring seamless railway operations.
A pilot project near Buttes station in Neuchâtel will cover a 100-meter track section, marking a significant step toward integrating photovoltaics into larger railway networks. If expanded nationally, Sun-Ways estimates that their system could produce approximately 1 terawatt-hour of solar energy annually, covering about 2% of Switzerland’s electricity consumption.
This initiative not only contributes to the country’s renewable energy goals but also sets a precedent for sustainable practices in the transportation sector worldwide.
8. This sidewalk for smartphone users in Warsaw, Poland
9. This is Marty the robot. It helps alerts supermarket staff when cleaning is needed
10. Free fruit for kids under 10
11. Coffee shop that offers no wi-fi
12. Trams in Seville (Spain) have fast-charging batteries, therefore not needing catenaries along the track. The trams charge for about 15 seconds every stop
13. This grocery store cart has a cup holder, slot for your phone and an aisle guide for popular products
14. Supermarket trolleys in Sweden have a map of the supermarket
