metropol{ia}

MDEF 24

What if you could step into the future of your city, today?

metropol{ia} combines generative AI and immersive technologies to visualise urban futures based on urban policy decisions and citizen participation in those decisions. By engaging citizens and policymakers, metropol{ia} fosters more experimental and participatory urban policy to co-create more inclusive, livable, and sustainable urban futures.

Tutors

Guillem Camprodon Laura Benitez Alejandra Tothill Roger Guilemany

simulating urban futures with metropol{ia}

metropol{ia} was showcased at three exhibitions:

Alquimia at ssuave3000, Elisava Masters Grad Show at TMDC and Shaping Future Cities at IAAC.

Prototype 1: Visualising and shaping urban futures with AI

metropol{ia} is an interactive platform where citizens can explore and shape possible futures for Barcelona, aligned with the city’s Nature Plan, which aims to boost biodiversity and green infrastructure by 2030.

Using generative AI and immersive tech, it visualises how the Nature Plan might transform Barcelona, offering insights into policy impacts on urban life. Participants can also use the platform to give feedback to create real-time visualisations of their desired future.

How could the Barcelona Nature Plan impact Plaça Urquinaona?

Click here for the immersive experience

How do citizens want Plaça Urquinaona to look like?

Participants used the platform to give feedback to create real-time visualizations of the Plaça Urquinaona that they want, allowing them to iteratively reshape the landscape in response to personal or collective preferences. This approach encourages inclusive city planning by reflecting diverse perspectives in a virtual sandbox for experimentation and co-creation.

Feedback given: “add bicycles, fountains and bike lanes on the streets”

Click here for the immersive experience

Prototype 2: Simulating the impact of Catalan electoral programmes on Barcelona

metropol{ia} simulated the impact of electoral programmes ahead of the regional Catalan elections in May 2024. Users were invited to experience future scenarios of Plaça d’Espanya based on proposals of the 8 parties running for election, and to cast a vote for their favourite one. This interactive voting process allowed metropol{ia} to gauge public sentiment on key policy issues, emphasising collective engagement in the future of urban planning and policymaking.

metropol{ia} explores the relationship between design, technology and policy, leveraging AI’s creative potential to better integrate design methodologies into policymaking. It seeks to promote more innovative and responsive urban environments, where design and policy collaboratively drive progress.