人工智能赋能未来城市：城市规划与设计

AI for Future Cities Urban Planningand Design ArupFebruary 2025 AI for Future Cities series The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence runs on a promise toenhance efficiency, speed and innovation. But what does this mean forcities: for how they are planned, designed, built and managed? Whatare the opportunities and what are the risks? Amongst the hype andspeculation, how do we ensure that these technologies support us inachieving our shared goal of creating cities that are better for peopleand the planet? Compiled by Arup’s Foresight team,AI for Future Cities is a seriesof critical refl ections and expert insights on the uses and impacts ofartificial intelligence across all aspects of our cities– from planningthrough to running them, from infrastructure through to the flows ofresources. It will give you a rich understanding of how AI alreadyoperates in the urban context today, what trends are shaping its usetomorrow, and informed speculation on the long-term possibilities. Contents This fi rst issue in the series focuses onUrban Planning and Design.How are generative AI models changing the work and requiredcompetencies of practitioners and decision-makers? What does a citylook like that has been shaped by AI? And how do we ensure that AIremains a tool we use intelligently? Foresight Perspective:What unforeseen consequences will AI have for designers and planners? To drive sustainable cities, we might useAI for more iterative and participatoryapproaches, where the city becomes acollaborative and ever-evolving playground;redesigning and adapting to changing needs. in real time to environmental conditions and userpreferences. Planning processes are fast and, thanksto generative AI, citizens can see what their place willlook like as it is designed, giving them the opportunityto be involved meaningfully. Urban planners have been looking to integrate digitaltechnology into their practice for years. Today, thepressures for efficiencies in planning, design anddelivery are greater than ever. Overlapping factorsranging from growing urbanisation, public sectorspending challenges and increased competition arepushing design practitioners to do more with less. “We could imagine wholecities becoming more rapidlyreconfigurable; mutating,changing and evolving in frontof our eyes as AI connectscontextual data streams tocollective needs and drivesnuanced adaptations andredesigns.” Artificial intelligence appears as a boon in thiscontext. The industry is looking towards generativeAI models to enable planners and designers to tackleurban challenges and ideate around solutions morequickly and efficiently. Combining these generativeAI models with an increasing availability of real-timedata allows practitioners to uncover novel insightsthat are grounded in the local context. Imagine a city where AI is fully integrated intothe design lifecycle. AI-enhanced digital twinsenable planners to anticipate and respond to climateevents and to demographic shifts. Interconnectedinfrastructure systems create more responsive andintegrated cities. AI breaks down silos betweenbuilding services and allows structures to adapt Wait, slow down. Artifi cial intelligence and the thirst for data are notwithout their problems. The rocketing demand forcomputing power places pressures on energy gridsand requires data centres to move into the city wherespace is already at a premium. New infrastructurethat is not only embedded in the urban fabric butalso delivers positive social value for communities isnecessary. The quality of data and how it is used are also inquestion. Planners will have to think critically aboutbias, privacy and accountability, particularly wherethe processes behind the AI models are hidden. Howcan we balance technological advancements withhuman oversight? How can we ensure AI-drivenurban planning and design is equitable and inclusive?What safeguards are needed to prevent bias andprotect privacy? What new skills and responsibilitiesdo future planners need to prepare for today? Horizon Scan Evidence:Trends shaping the future of AI in Planning and Design This is a small selection ofkey data we are trackingon how AI operates in thecontext of cities at present(now→), emerging trends weare observing (near →), andinformed speculations weare making about long-termpossibilities that stem fromsignals of change (next →). Rapid conceptgeneration Interconnectedinfrastructuresystems Biased datainfluencingdecisions AI for urbanresilience Increasingurbanisation ofdata centres Generative AI adoptionis allowing designers toexplore more ideas, includingpreviously unimagined ones,much faster than traditionalmethods. Here, designersare increasingly using textprompts to generate uniquevisuals within minutes,supporting rapid ideationand explore design conceptsmore efficiently. Using AI to create higherfi delity and more accessibledigital twins. This can helpplanners better anticipate,prepare and respond toextreme climate events a