York’s first open innovation forum – GeniUS! at www.geniusyork.com – is where people and ideas are coming together to help solve some of the city’s key challenges.

This is your opportunity to add your creative input and original thinking into the forum’s melting pot of ideas.

Regular challenges are posted for you to ponder, the most recent being:

How can footfall and transport be used innovatively to generate income and improve environmental sustainability in the city?

Launched by City of York Council and SCY in January 2012, GeniUS! is a web forum for everyone – residents, community groups, businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators everywhere – to share their fresh thinking and innovative approaches at www.geniusyork.com

The scheme is being supported by NESTA - the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts - which promotes innovation in the UK. Promising ideas will be investigated by experts, working with the originator and affected groups and, if plans are agreed, the council has committed to make them a reality.

This latest challenge aims to get York's brains thinking around ways we can save the city money or generate income that supports the future of green travel and helps create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly city.

For example, could we generate energy from people as they walk? York's footfall figures in the city centre are potentially a great untapped resource - in 2011 there were 12.5 million on Coney Street and 8.5 million on Parliament Street. Technology exists which can exploit all this movement and convert it into a renewable energy source - and potential income!

While ideas could be based around new technology, they could also be suggestions for doing things differently orchanging behaviours. For example, discounts could be offered at attractions for people arriving on push bikes - encouraging more cycling and potentially increasing visitor numbers.

More information on the challenge is online now.

What will happen with my idea?

A panel of experts will select the most promising ideas to take forward, working with the originator, and members of the public or partner organisations who may be affected. Once a plan to develop the idea has been agreed, the council has committed to making it happen!

So, if you’ve got some original ideas you’d like to see come to life – get them on GeniUS! now! Together we could make it happen!

Join the forum now at www.geniusyork.com

Please help us spread the word about GeniUS! – tweet about it or follow us on twitter at @GeniUSYork