'Driverless Future' Finalists to Pitch NYC Commissioners and Live Audience at the NY Tech Alliance's July 11 NY Tech Meetup

In February, Blank Space launched the “Driverless Future Challenge” in partnership with the City of New York to solicit proposals that actively shape the city’s response to driverless cars. Now, Blank Space is proud to announce that it has partnered with the NY Tech Alliance, an organization with over 60,000 members that represents the full spectrum of the greater New York area tech community. Blank Space and the NY Tech Alliance will co-host the final event of the Driverless Future Challenge at the NYU Skirball Auditorium on July 11 in a special edition of the monthly NY Tech Meetup. Tickets to the event can be purchased for $10 each by clicking here.

“The NY Tech Alliance’s mission is to represent, inspire, support, and help lead the New York tech community to create a better future for all, and the Driverless Future Challenge certainly fits that criteria,” said Jessica Lawrence Quinn, CEO of the NY Tech Alliance. “As NYC’s preeminent monthly showcase for innovation and technology, the NY Tech Meetup is uniquely positioned to maximize the impact of this challenge, which will allow participants to directly influence the shape of one of the most complex cities in the world.”

Four finalists will be selected by a jury that includes leaders from IDEO, Uber, Volvo, the NYC Mayor’s Office, Mercedes-Benz and the Design Trust for Public Spaces. Finalists will present their ideas to a panel of NYC Government Officials in a live pitch session similar to the TV show Shark Tank for designers, innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers and architects. The winner will be crowned in front of the live NY Tech Meetup audience.

The four finalist teams will have the opportunity to work with the city to put their idea for the future of New York into place. Each team will receive access to workspace and fabrication facilities at New Lab, as well as other opportunities to present their designs at the Fast Company Innovation Festival in October 2017.

“When we think about driverless technology, we immediately gravitate towards cars. However, the impact is much bigger than that, especially for our cities,” said Matthew Hoffman, Blank Space Cofounder. “Driverless technology will radically transform mass transit, shipping and logistics, not to mention how we allocate space in cities, where roads and parking structures occupy anywhere from 40-65% of the total land use. We’re proud to work with the City of New York to take the lead in planning for autonomous transit.”

Registration for the Driverless Future Challenge is currently open to all interested participants, with discounted registration available through Thursday, April 6. Competitors can register at Driverlessfuture.nyc and start crafting their 3-minute “pitch” video encapsulating their proposal and its relation to driverless transportation in New York City. Competitors are free to select any facet of driverless technology, from zoomed-out city-scale solutions to small interventions within the urban fabric. The only requirements are that proposals are actionable and use New York City as their canvas.