A relic from Riga, 2026, reflecting a city navigating the aftermath of technological collapse. The map reveals an intricate network born from necessity and ingenuity.
What if the entire network that makes your city tick was just gone?
Rīgas Kustība 2026: Ghosts of Smart Mobility: Rīgas Kustība 2026 unveils a Riga paralyzed by the collapse of its smart transportation infrastructure, exposing a dystopian future shaped by technological fragility and social inequality.
Ozols_3560, Latvia
Ozols_3560, Latvia
Description
Urban mobility in the 21st century promised efficiency and interconnectedness. Rīgas Kustība 2026 presents a starkly different reality from 2026 Riga. This collection of artifacts and design speculations reveals a city grappling with the aftermath of a 5G infrastructure collapse, forcing citizens to navigate a fractured transportation landscape. Observe how societal divisions deepen as access to mobility becomes a privilege, exposing the fragility of our technologically dependent systems.
Context
Riga, 2026. The shimmering promise of smart mobility has faded. The once-ubiquitous hum of automated vehicles is replaced by the rumble of makeshift transport. The 5G collapse splintered the city, dividing it between those with access to decentralized, resilient networks and those left stranded. The air, once thick with the optimism of technological progress, now carries the dust of broken infrastructure and the anxieties of a fragile future. The ghosts of smart mobility haunt the streets, a stark reminder of misplaced faith.
Provocation
Rīgas Kustība 2026 confronts viewers with a potential future shaped by our increasing reliance on fragile technological systems. Consider the current trajectory of smart city development and ask: how resilient are our infrastructures? What are the potential social consequences of technological failure, and how can we mitigate them? This project prompts reflection on our collective dependence on technology and its potential to exacerbate existing inequalities.
Ozols_3560's process
Inspired by Latvia’s intertwined history of ecological awareness and industrial progress, Ozols embarked on extensive research into Riga's urban development and projected environmental trends. His process, deeply influenced by the specific urban fabric of Latvian cities, involved meticulous system mapping of pre- and post-collapse transportation networks. This analytical foundation informed the design of speculative artifacts, reflecting the complex interplay of social, technological, and ecological factors that shaped Riga's precarious mobility landscape in 2026.
More about Ozols_3560
Events leading to ‘Rīgas Kustība 2026: Ghosts of Smart Mobility’
2024: Riga’s smart city infrastructure expands, integrating 5G for traffic management and public transport.
2025: Minor 5G outages begin to disrupt transportation, causing localized economic impact and highlighting system vulnerabilities.
2026: A major 5G infrastructure failure cripples Riga's transportation system, leading to widespread social and economic disruption and exposing deep societal inequalities.
Imagined Future Scenarios Considered
Ozols_3560 considered the following imagined future scenarios while working on this project
Hypothetical Product Ideas Considered
Ozols_3560 considered the following hypothetical product ideas while working on this project
Similar Projects
