The computable city

Abstract

By the year 2050, everything around us will be some form of computer. Already, we are seeing a massive convergence of computers and communications through various forms of media. Computerized highways are in prospect and smart buildings are almost upon us. As planners we are accustomed to using computers to advance our science and art but it would appear that the city itself is turning into a constellation of computers. The implications of this for city planning are enormous. New data sources emerging in real time, and software to understand many elements of the working of cities such as simulation games and GIS, are now widespread. The juxtaposition of media that a generation ago would have been regarded as unthinkable is generating entirely new opportunities for understanding and planning cities. This paper raises these issues through a travelogue across the Internet. Ideas for what is becoming possible in our domain are illustrated from that latest of networking triumphs, the World Wide Web, from which we draw examples of cities in situ, in vitro, in the abstract, in real time and in cyberspace. Point to our homepage http://www.casa.ucl.ac.uk/ and then click to generate these.