CONNECTEd dIgITAL CITIES John Frazer In the future we will have a detailed ecological model of the whole planet with capabilities to explore and predict the consequences of alternative futures. However, such a planetary eco-model will take time to develop, time to populate with data, and time to validate—time the planet doesn’t have. In the interim, we can model the major concentrations of energy use and pollution—our cities—and connect them to form a “talking cities network.” Such a networked city model would be much quicker to build and validate. And the advantage of this approach is that it is safer and more effective for us to interfere with the operation of our cities than to tamper directly with the behavior of natural systems. Essentially, it could be thought of as providing the planet with a nervous system and would empower us to better develop and manage sustainable cities. Six urgent tasks There are six urgent tasks for the developers of digital city-modeling tools: 1. Build complex integrated digital models 2. Make the models more intelligent 3. Make the models predictive 4. Actively involve citizens in the exploration of alternative developments 5. Turn the models into active design tools 6. Connect the city models together Build complex integrated digital models Currently, city modeling is fragmented and discipline-driven. There is no agreement about data standards and exchange. First, the visualization models are not integrated with infrastructure in and beyond the city, and the road-traffic models are not integrated with the rail models, with the result that the effect on the traffic flow of, say, a new rail line cannot be judged. Second, the city models are not integrated with environmental and ecological models. We need models which integrate the modeling of social, economic, ecological, and behavioral aspects with dynamic modeling of transport infrastructure and building fabric. Third, we need these models integrated with the modeling of the supply chains and infrastructure of a region. Therefore, digital modeling of cities should integrate the complexity of all aspects of Park Street VIDEO ANALYSIS Gianni Bruschi
cities. A framework of city modeling is proposed as: Models of building fabric Models of transport infrastructures Models of social systems Models of economic systems Models of ecological systems Models of regional infrastructures Make the models more intelligent We have agreement with GIS as to where things are in 2D and some agreement in 3D. However, we need to know not just where things are but what they are, an ideal which is a long way from our present standards. In the construction industry, the International Interoperability Alliance has been struggling for more than ten years to attain the agreement identifying the parts of a building in a nonambiguous manner. So how long will it take to reach another agreement identifying the constituent elements of a city? Furthermore, we need to know not only why it is, what it is, and where it is. We need this intelligence of logical connections between parts of a city before intelligent city modeling can be really achievable and useful. The complex and comprehensive behaviors of entire cities are increasingly being monitored to contribute data to increasingly intelligent models of cities. These will interpret the social, economic, and environmental logics of cities’ evolution and will form the fundamental database for decision-making in urban development. Make the models predictive “What If?“ models must be able to predict the implications of proposed urban designs, infrastructures, and economic changes. We need to be able to explore alternative trajectories. There are some demonstrations of the very first stages of prediction, in which changing patterns of pollution can be demonstrated resulting from changes in infrastructure of traffic control (for example Mike Batty’s Model of London (1)). But it is imperative to have a more sophisticated method in which any changes in the complex system will produce some relevant progress in response. Predictions will be based on the logics of all the components in city modeling.
Turn the models into active design tools Passive tools that can analyze the implications of proposed development are valuable in this context. However, active tools that can help designers in an interactive manner at the earliest conceptual design stages are far more powerful, as potential iterative design optimization techniques. More powerful still are generative and evolutionary design techniques that are able to automatically develop and evaluate possible alternative developments of a concept. These generative and evolutionary techniques are ideal in combination with citizen participation. Connect the city models together The next step is to connect city models around the planet so that they can exchange experience and knowledge, thus providing the planet with a much-needed nervous system that could make a significant impact on global warming, for example, because of the massive ecological impact of dense conurbations. In an extension to the Groningen Experiment, the base model was adapted for different cultures, climates, and economies, and several major cities were modeled on an array of interconnected computers that exchanged genetic information controlling their generative development—this was the beginning of the “talking cities” project.(4) Conclusion Improving the design and operation of cities by using more effective generative modeling tools would be a highly effective way of addressing climate change as cities use more than 50% of the world’s energy supply and are massive concentrations of waste, pollution, and greenhouse gases. By integrating sophisticated computer-based modeling tools of city infrastructure, fabric, transport, and ecology and combining them with powerful generative, predictive tools to create “What If?” models of future city developments, those developments could be evaluated for their environmental performance, the efficiency of their transport, their economic viability, and the essential quality of life they will provide. The ultimate goal will be to create cities that are not just sustainable but “ecopositive”—attempting to reverse current climate-change trends by potentially giving back to the planet more than they take. Notes
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Actively involve citizens in the exploration of alternative developments It is necessary to build user-friendly interfaces to these predictive models that will encourage active citizen participation in exploring environmental alternatives for their future habitats. Following Web 2.0-enabled public participations in a number of activities
(for example, creating encyclopedias, or news inputs such as the live commentaries and photographs from Burma during the 2008 junta clampdown), we can expect a growing public participation in all aspects of life, including not only the political but also the design and development of environment in cities.