New York's Reinvent Payphones Project Top Six Finalists Announced

Payphones are a relic of the past, something the latest generation has likely never used. In an effort to revamp them for a world full of smartphones and instant connectivity, New York City's Mayor Bloomberg announced the Reinvent Payphones project, calling for the hivemind to submit ideas on how to give the city's thousands of payphones a modern makeover.

New York City is home to about 11,000 payphones whose purpose has diminished over the years. Instead of rooting them from the ground, however, individuals came together to think of new ways to use them, submitting entries throughout last month. Those entries were judged on a variety of factors, and among them six were chosen as finalists.

Judging criteria was based on the entries' ability to enable communication, the originality and innovation of the design, as well as its visual appeal and how well it works for the user, its functionality (including its sustainability), and its impact on the community, such as how it supports businesses, residents, and cultural hubs.

Now the project is calling for the public to cast their vote on their favorite design, with the winning entry being awarded the Popular Choice Award. Before casting a vote, you'll need to like the project's Facebook page, after which point you'll get a glimpse of each design and a paragraph of info on it. Voting ends on March 15.

[via Venture Beat]