The happiness of London's Euston Road

Design research and proposed intervention

Currently, London's Euston Road offers little to pedestrians in the way of happiness and health. This exhibit asks visitors to explore their own subjective well-being by subverting a familiar piece of pedestrian infrastructure.

This installation will consist of a ubiquitous pedestrian crossing request box, re-engineered to register the user's smile instead of a simple button press.

This smile-activated crossing reflects extensive research that even artificially-provoked 'fake' smiles can generate positive emotions and real happiness.

By re-imagining a familiar aspect of urban life as a playful, interactive event, this exhibit will draw visitors together to share a collective experience. The smile-activated crossing will demonstrate the possibilities of active and interactive infrastructure, while offering visitors an opportunity to consider the privacy implications of surveillance and emotion-aware public spaces.