I asked AI to Design a New Urbanist Seaside Town
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Introduction
The concept of New Urbanism has gained traction over the years, and one of its pioneering examples is Seaside, Florida, established in the 1980s. This charming town, located in the panhandle of Florida, serves as a reference point for exploring how artificial intelligence, specifically Midjourney AI, can assist in creating a new urbanist community.
Experimenting with Midjourney AI
To analyze the capabilities of Midjourney AI, I initiated a series of experiments. The goal was simple: use the AI to generate designs for a town inspired by Seaside. The results were initially fascinating but also raised questions regarding practicality and coherence in urban designs.
Upon reviewing the first set of generated buildings, I was struck by the mix of uses, although the street connections appeared somewhat awkward. One specific rendering featured a substantial parking area that overshadowed the design, deviating from the essence of New Urbanism. Each iteration produced intricate detailing, showcasing public spaces that mimicked real-life scenarios; however, specific elements seemed off-track.
Refining the AI Outputs
In an effort to improve these results, I reran the model with more focused instructions about desired configuration and uses of spaces. The AI produced designs with distinctly separated residential and commercial areas, but the central public spaces lacked direct waterfront access.
As the iterations continued, we started to observe a recurring central square concept that allowed for a walkable district. The intrigue grew as some designs began to hide parking and encourage pedestrian pathways, indicating progress toward a more authentic New Urbanist feel.
Even as further variations displayed a range of parking solutions and mixed-use scenarios, some outputs seemed to lack cohesion. Certain designs resembled suburban layouts more than the integrated communal spaces typically championed by New Urbanists.
Enhancing Clarity with Structure
After several rounds, it became evident that the AI required substantial input to produce reliable interpretations of Seaside's ideals. To facilitate this, I fed the AI an original town plan of Seaside, which remarkably led to designs reflecting a more organized and rectilinear pattern, akin to the original vision for Seaside. These architectural arrangements exhibited better connectivity to the waterfront, prompting excitement about the AI's potential.
Further iterations built off previous outputs, refining configurations while keeping key pedestrian axes prominent. Some outputs showed promise with a balanced mixture of public spaces and residential zones.
Concluding Thoughts on AI's Application
Based on the results, can we fully rely on Midjourney AI to produce definitive urban designs? At this stage, it’s not quite ready. However, it serves as an invaluable brainstorming tool, generating diverse concepts quickly. The ability to translate past work into unique ideas demonstrates the potential for future urban projects.
What remains unclear is the AI's capacity to differentiate between various building uses, such as residential versus commercial, or correctly conceptualizing public space versus streets.
Looking ahead, I aim to harness this technology to create detailed urban design elements like street sections and land use maps. The ultimate goal is to understand whether Midjourney AI can truly grasp the principles of New Urbanism and, potentially, write code that reflects those principles.
Stay tuned for future iterations of this journey into AI-assisted urban design.
Keywords
- New Urbanism
- Midjourney AI
- Seaside Florida
- Urban design
- Pedestrian pathways
- Mixed-use development
- Town plan
- Cohesion
- Architectural arrangements
FAQ
Q: What is New Urbanism?
A: New Urbanism is an urban design movement that promotes walkable neighborhoods with a mix of housing and commercial spaces, aiming to create community-oriented environments.
Q: What is Midjourney AI?
A: Midjourney AI is an artificial intelligence tool that generates images based on user prompts, potentially aiding in design and creativity.
Q: How did the AI perform in designing a New Urbanist town?
A: The AI produced a variety of town layouts that evolved over iterations, but often needed specific guidance to align with New Urbanist principles.
Q: Can the AI differentiate between building uses?
A: It is currently unclear whether the AI can accurately understand and represent differences between residential, commercial, and public spaces in its designs.
Q: What are the future plans for using AI in urban design?
A: Plans include generating detailed urban design features, such as land use maps and street sections, to explore the full potential of AI in urban planning.
