City ID's Mike Rawlinsonhelps set the standard for improved information and wayfinding solutions that are integrating people, movement and place around the globe in a truly revolutionary way. On October 28 at Xlab in New York City, he'll share how forward thinking on these topics is key to creating the new ecosystems that are enabling truly smarter cities—and a different more pedestrian-focused experience for the people who live, work and play in our urban environments.

Mike Rawlinson is a founding director of City ID (Bristol, UK) and a design-planner whose concepts about legible, pedestrian-oriented cities go back 20 years. He led the development and delivery of innovative design projects and strategies for cities including Moscow, Rio de Janiero, Birminghamand London, where his plans accommodated entirely car-free access (albeit temporary) to the 2012 Olympic venues. City ID's wayfinding for Moscow,which moves the equivalent of the world's entire population in a year, won a 2016 SEGD Global Design Award. He is now working collaboratively with numerous design and planning partners on a massive revisioning project for New York City. At the core of the plan is a detailed mapping project that will be the topographic engine behind all the data that fuels a Smart City. Rawlinson's city maps are based on sidewalks, parks and resting places, steps and crossings—and not only roadmaps for car travel. His ideas include stitching green spaces together to create new routes across a bustling city.

The work in NYC is already four years in the making and ongoing. "The plan is about rebalancing the spaces and streets to allow room for play and pedestrian and bicycle access," Rawlinson said at the 2015 SEGD Conference in Chicago. "There are dozens of projects and a place at the table for everyone to get involved." 

Experiential graphic designers will be among the first to benefit from the sort of design opportunities Rawlinson is talking about. The purpose of SEGD's Xlab is to help attendees develop the new skills and knowledge they will need to fully participate in the shift to the sort of technology-enabled projects Rawlinson describes. As Rawlinson says, "Good is not good enough. We must better best practice. We live in a competitive world."  

Rawlinson and George Burciagaof CIVIQ Smartscapesshare the first session at Xlab.  They are both fascinating and inspiring speakers, whose stories will absolutely impact your own work.

Check out the complete schedule of courses and networking sessions, as well as tours and workshopsat Xlab: Digital Innovation and the Future of Experiential Design.

Don’t miss this amazing learning and professional development opportunity with Mike Rawlinson and other leaders of the SEGD community—registernow!