PATCHWORK CITIES

Cities, those made of brick and mortar, have been mutating over the years. It’s curious how we have gotten used to living with history all around us. Romanesque, Gothic, and very modern buildings, which marked a turning point, transforming us from an industrial capital into a global architectural icon. Regions are adapting, as if they were a patchwork, to respond to society’s trends, needs, and lifestyles.

In the past, designs were made with transport in horse-drawn carriages in mind. Now we see electric ramps, elevators, and power wheelchairs devised so that everyone can move and go up and down stairs freely, with autonomy. Over the years we’ve adapted our physical spaces to emerging needs… but in a reactive way.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PHYSICAL WORLD FOR A VIRTUAL WORLD

Today the conversation is no longer about whether to comply with the Accessibility Law or not, or how to do so. We passed that point in 2000. The new needs of today have taken a turn the other way… towards another world: the virtual world. We’ve learned from the patches of the physical world about how to venture into this virtual age, one in which debates are sparked by the appearance of every emerging technology. Needless to say, we wanted to delve into the reflection and conversation about this technological convergence known as “the evolution of the Internet:” the metaverse.

The metaverse is something that people are talking about, but that not everyone understands. What is it? What’ll it be? What will using it be like? Will we move there? Can I go in now to see it, or are they still mopping up the floors? There’s a whole sea of questions and opinions out there, ranging from the most utopian to the most dystopian, with a bit of pragmatism somewhere in between, much closer to reality.

In this issue, our aim is to capture the different facets of the metaverse and present its potential. Going back to the parallels with the city, we understand the need to create public, open, and safe virtual spaces that coexist alongside all the private initiatives that are being developed. An inclusive, accessible, and free world in which there’s a place for everyone.

YOUR NEW VIRTUAL NEIGHBORHOOD

Leaving aside all the glitter and fantastical notions that the metaverse is spawning, we want to reflect on its unifying capacity.

The potential of the metaverse can be infinite; as William Arthur Ward said: “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.” So, then… what kind of world do we want to create? If we think about it, when mobile phones and apps came out, it was difficult for some people to adapt to this new online channel because the interface was completely different from the way they had communicated and interacted until then.

However, a virtual world can become a hyper-realistic extension of our real one. Let’s imagine, for a moment, that we put on a VR headset and can easily go to the bank branch in our neighborhood, where we already know what to do and can talk “face to face” with the employee that we always work with. Constituting a much more familiar experience, one closer to our physical reality, this could be considered a more intuitive solution for those who find it difficult to manage their banking apps, especially as things change with each app update.

Perhaps this version of the metaverse is not as commercially dazzling or as retro-futuristic as what you may have read about in other media outlets, but the fact is that technology should be at the service of real people with real problems and needs, in order to balance out the scales, and so we call can access that “city square” that is the metaverse.

THE THOUSAND SIDES OF THE METAVERSE

Faithful reader, if you’ve come this far, we promise you that this issue is an exploration of new worlds and formats that will open a huge door for creators. You’ll venture into the different facets of the metaverse. You’ll find articles that will help you get your bearings in the conversation and broaden your understanding of the topic, so that you can develop your own criteria when accessing (or not) this new Internet.

You’ll learn the reasons for all the hype, “second life” has already failed; some practical instructions on how to get into it, and a good dictionary so you don’t get lost amidst all the technical jargon. Articles about what’s happening: an interview with Roberto Romero, an eclectic individual who takes creativity and technology to the max; and very special collaborations with experts in the quantum world, and with Ibermática, all of which will open up unimaginable technological horizons. We also wish to offer our most realistic thoughts on how the metaverse will revolutionize major disciplines like education and entrepreneurship, and how the Government of Biscay became a pioneer in turning to the latest technologies to preserve our roots.

After all this, we have only one thing left to say: this city square is all yours, so enjoy it!