What is it about?
This article explains how swarm intelligence, inspired by the collective behavior of bees, ants, and birds, can be used to design flexible and efficient cities. It analyzes the speculative “Swarm Urbanism” project for Melbourne Docklands as an example of how digital multi‑agent systems can generate urban forms that adapt to changing conditions
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Photo by Manuel Torres Garcia on Unsplash
Why is it important?
The work shows a novel way to move beyond rigid, top‑down masterplans by using algorithmic “swarms” of digital agents to explore millions of urban design options. This approach can help planners respond to uncertainty, optimize infrastructure and public spaces, and anticipate complex urban dynamics such as evacuations or growth patterns, opening a path toward more sustainable and resilient cities.
Perspectives
From my perspective as the sole author, this publication shows how bio‑inspired, swarm‑based algorithms can transform urbanism into a living, adaptive process. By treating streets, buildings, and public spaces as interacting agents rather than fixed objects, we gain powerful tools to test scenarios, reveal hidden patterns, and design cities that can evolve intelligently with their inhabitants over time
Marcelo Fraile
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: El uso de la inteligencia de enjambre en el diseño urbano, Dearq, September 2023, Revistas Uniandes,
DOI: 10.18389/dearq37.2023.05.
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