It was a morning of exploring Franklin’s future through the eyes of Tamaoho students. Their faces lit up as they excitedly explained their designs, their words tumbling out in their eagerness to share how they imagined Franklin in 2124, 100 years from now. Board member Tracey Kay and I, Fran Oliver the Innovation Franklin team support, were taken on a journey into a world where fun takes center stage.
The journey began with the students looking at Franklin 100 years ago. They discovered that Pukekohe’s King Street existed even then, though it was a dirt road filled with horses. From there, they moved through the present day to envision what might be new and different in 100 years.
Their future Franklin featured fun zones including ice rinks, cinemas, game areas, pools, laser tag arenas, ice cream shops, malls, and hotels. One standout was a sky tower with a pool at the top—don’t worry, you can’t fall out because an invisible dome force field keeps you safe! Interestingly, many designs seemed to be missing one thing: adults. “Child-only” was a common theme.
“What about babies at the pool?” I asked. “Who looks after them?” The answer? “Oh, the robots.” In their vision, AI has advanced enough for robots to look after children and handle most tasks. No adults needed. No adults at the pools, fun zones, or hotels. Fortunately, there were still police and fire stations in case things got out of hand. Banks and other areas welcomed adults, including a place where you can ask for anything you want and it comes out of a machine (coffee, I asked? Yes, and it doesn’t even spill!). There were KFCs that gave free food to those who couldn’t afford it, and wind farms powering the city while keeping the air clean.
Franklin 100 years from now looks pretty good—very relaxing for adults and full of innovative ideas to improve the world we live in, with a lot more fun to go around!
