By 2050, the world’s population is expected to have exceeded 10 billion people, making overcrowded cities one of the most pressing issues of the present. Data analysis, machine learning, transportation developments, and the rapid development of new social technologies are increasingly changing the needs of people and communities, which will have a direct impact on the issue of overcrowding and on our built environment more largely.
The main challenge of designing new spaces or even modernizing existing ones lies in the fast-changing needs of humanity and the even faster-evolving technologies that surround and support these needs. Human-oriented design and experimental data-driven methodologies are the main paths explored when discussing the cities of the future. The combination of both creates a holistic interdisciplinary perspective that both identifies the human needs that will need to be addressed and combines them with the available technologies and data to help us design a competent and sustainable future, both in the built and virtual realms.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is unfolding rapidly as the digitization of human interactions increases at an exponential rate and the timeframe at which people adopt new technologies decreases. The digitization of the construction industry is today one of the biggest opportunities for investors, attracting the global attention of thought-leaders, innovators, and professionals: urban planning, architecture, and design are today some of the most promising areas that can impact the future of humanity.
The internet of things (IoT), regenerative and parametric design, artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, big data, and virtual reality are just some of the new tools that architects can count on to change the way they think about, design, and build the cities of the future. This means that the role of the architect will have to pivot, embracing multidisciplinary collaboration and adopting new technologies into their workflows to tackle this new interface of opportunities.
3D printing additionally opens an interesting perspective by allowing the creation of new materials with enhanced performances and optimizing the amount of material used in construction. In the case of concrete, it can reduce use by up to 40%. This excess occurs today because there's currently no penalty for over-design, encouraging designers and engineers to err on the side of safety and aesthetics over material efficiency.
Future cities are smart cities, and they will operate as one big data-driven ecosystem. Every interaction and condition is currently being recorded, and several companies are already using this data to extrapolate and project smarter designs that better fit human needs. Some of the most important aspects of the city that are currently being analyzed and which future design could further improve with data include walkability, accessibility, mixed uses, fluctuating usage levels at different times of the day and during different days of the week (good cities have balanced activity levels 24/7 and should never have ‘dead’ spaces), and the integration of different cultures and communities - a current pressing matter that grows bigger every day.
Human health and psychological wellbeing are also areas that can be improved and optimized through the use of technology and data. As the human population doubles itself, it will become critical to optimize the quality of public spaces, allowing communities to share and interact in spaces that are designed for accessibility and diversity. The quality of comfort in workspaces and housing will be measured through sensors providing real-time data on wellbeing and primary comfort indicators such as natural light, oxygen levels, and human interaction, just to name a few. For example, a building could detect that the oxygen levels are low, making people feel tired and stressed, and automatically activate the ventilation systems in response. It could also connect to calendar apps and suggest spaces that are not being used in real time, optimizing the use of space.
Interior design also has an impact on comfort and health, and it gains relevance as spaces grow smaller and more crowded - making the quality of these spaces even more relevant to our psychological well being. A deeper understanding of how color, materiality, spatiality, lighting, and even decoration affects human behavior will need to be further developed and put into practice.
Interior design also has an impact on comfort and health, and it gains relevance as spaces grow smaller and more crowded - making the quality of these spaces even more relevant to our psychological well being. A deeper understanding of how color, materiality, spatiality, lighting, and even decoration affects human behavior will need to be further developed and put into practice.