Carolien Gehrels

Carolien Gehrels of Arcadis, a design and consultancy firm, illustrated the impact that design can have. Lighting is crucial, whether that’s on bridges, bus shelters or something as inspiring as the cycle path created by the Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde, which is illuminated with patterns based on Vincent van Gogh’s painting The Starry Night. “Streets are interactive: they have stories to tell,” she says. This means combining design on technology, safety and mobility, with human needs and desires considered on everything from public toilets and water stations to libraries.