A futuristic structure may soon be coming to the Portland State University (PSU) campus—complete with loudspeakers, solar panels, bike pedals, and electrical outlets. But this alien-looking creation isn’t a toy for millennials—it’s designed to help save lives after a disaster. And its introduction at PSU may inspire more of them to pop up across the city.
The “PrepHub” looks like several park benches outfitted with bike pedals and arranged underneath a tall, glowing pillar with speakers and screens on its sides. Fueled by solar and pedal power, PrepHub is the brainchild of the Urban Risk Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); its purpose is to generate electricity, disperse important information following a disaster, and create a location for people to gather. It will also provide storage for emergency supplies like first aid kits and radios for communication.
The idea to outfit PSU with a PrepHub has been floating around City Hall for a year, but planning won’t kick off until Portland City Council votes to sign off on $90,000 of funding for the pilot project on Wednesday, August 8. Portland General Electric (PGE) and PSU will also contribute funds to cover the project’s $300,000 price tag. If approved, the first PrepHub will be installed sometime in 2019. Where exactly it will land on the PSU campus is still up in the air.