Sequestering ourselves in sonic bubbles of MP3 music players can make a crowded city suddenly seem a lot less social. But now a clever designer has come up with a possible solution for our high fidelity-driven isolation.

Every year, Fentress Architects sponsors a global challenge for students to explore "future design possibilities in public architecture," where the winner gets cash, a paid internship and a part in a major museum exhibition. The 2011 challenge asked students to share their ideas for airports of the future, and the results are in, featuring floating islands, circular runways and zeppelins.

The modern phone booth as we know it may be an endangered species, but one clever designer has repurposed them in way that may actually lead to a evolution in urban public spaces.

Smoke detectors are (or should be) a part of everyone's home, and yet they've never really added to the décor. Of course their main function is to save lives, but there is no reason they can't be designed to look good like this adorable little Chick-a-Dee.