I asked AI to Design a New Urbanist Seaside Town
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 มี.ค. 2023
- Can AI be a useful designer on your urban planning team? This is an experiment to see if we can get MidJourney AI to design a version of the New Urbanist town of Seaside, Florida.
I'm including a summary of my prompts and notes from this first episode. This is by no means a definitive experiment. We're just beginning to scratch the surface of what these tools can do for an urban design process. There will definitely be more to come.
To get AI to design a New Urbanist town, it will need to be able to generate all of the different kinds of drawings needed to actually build a place including:
Site Plan
Street Sections
Aerial Rendering
Ground-Level Perspective of a Civic Space
Ground-Level Perspective of a Street
Building Plans
Building Elevations
This video deals exclusively with site planning, and I must acknowledge that the reference imagery provided here is definitely limited. We also haven't tried blending site plan drawings with aerial photographs of the same place to see how AI overlaps the imagery.
Here's what we did for this video:
First, let’s see what happens when we ask it for a site plan of Seaside.
/imagine a technical pen and marker color site plan of the town of Seaside Florida
So far it has given us something that rendered in the appropriate style, but the configuration of elements is off. The public space doesn’t address the water, there’s a wide separation of use with a lot of parking, and we need more of a focus on residential dwellings. Let’s ask it to use New Urbanist principles in its design-thinking and reduce the parking to 0.
/imagine a technical pen and marker color site plan of the new urbanist town of Seaside Florida with its town square open toward the ocean. Commercial buildings can go along the town square, and the rest of the plan should be residential with a few buildings near the town square reserved for a town hall and a school. Do not draw parking lots.
It’s been able to create some really interesting public spaces in the variations. Some of the drawings followed our directive to disclude parking, and some haven’t. Let’s give it a reference of the actual plan and see what happens.
/imagine a technical pen and marker color site plan of the new urbanist town of Seaside Florida with its town square open toward the ocean. Commercial buildings can go along the town square, and the rest of the plan should be residential with a few buildings near the town square reserved for a town hall and a school. Do not draw parking lots. Use this site plan as a reference for how you configure the streets, blocks, buildings, and public spaces. link to image
The results and variations are stunning. I still can’t tell whether it knows what it’s drawing, and if it can differentiate building types and uses, or open space vs built area in a figure ground. This will be our next experiment.
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Try MidJourney AI: midjourney.com/
Check out DPZ and Seaside Florida: www.dpz.com/projects/seaside/
Get in touch for New Urbanist Watercolor Renderings: briandrawsplaces.com/
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I found this underwhelming. The AI could never generate anything applying Seaside's fundamental new urbanist principles. Where was the street network allowing multiple access points? Most of the plans seemed to funnel all the traffic through one or two (choke) points. And that huge parking lot!
I agree to a certain extent. This particular tool isn't designed to understand urbanism. It only takes what it has learned from the internet and blends a bunch of that knowledge loosely together to create images resembling what we've already done manually. There are now some tools now that are specifically for urban design but still require lots of manual input. It's exciting to learn how AI is developing in different fields.
very nice, i also like the look of the plan.
Even AI knows humans are ok with flattening some of the worlds most beautiful beaches sand dunes. When I was a kid it was illegal to walk on the dunes. By the time I was a teenager dunes were flattened to build hotels/condos that were occupied 6 months out of the year. Interesting how we are ok with paving paradise to put up a parking lot. I thought the best seawall was sand dunes. Maybe AI can help cure ignorance. Cool planning video, love the ideas. Rebuild Mexico Beach if ya need another broken beach to work on. ❤
Thanks for sharing your perspective. I think this is why it's still important for us as humans to be in control of the work. For now, these AI tools are only image-generators based on what we've already done in the past. It's up to us to ensure the right ecological sensitivity. I appreciate what you shared about the dunes. Seaside, FL is one of the only beachside towns I've been to that deliberately preserved and celebrated its dunes. It's a climb to get over them, but the natural ecology and the vistas from the top are so worth it.
This is unbelievable. With the right training,midjourney can iterate like a team of designers in minutes
It's certainly an impressive tool.
Ai will make many things cheaper simpler quicker and accessible to more people
Is it possible to have MJ design to the shape of the actual lot shape? I'm getting some beautiful results but the lot shapes are way off. Thanks!
I'm glad to hear you're getting beautiful results. From what I can tell, we can't give it site-specific parameters. The tool just isn't made for space planning and urban design. For that, you might have better luck with something like Delve from Sidewalk Labs. Please let me know if you come across any other tools that can do what you're thinking of.
Very interesting
I thought so too. It turns out, that although the drawings in this example aren't necessarily practical, there are now AI tools that can turn our line drawings into full renderings in 20 seconds or less, and that's been really helpful.
"eyewash" is dandy, but can AFFORDABILITY become a REAL concern in Planning? Pretty plans are fun(?) but can YOU afford to live there? I've seen Seaside from day 1, and can guarantee its UNaffordable for 98% of viewers here! You know, there is a zillion acres of land throughout inland Florida (or the Panhandle, specifically) that would make much more sense than ruining another already-stressed waterfront environments. 72-year old FL Architect here, kids :-) That "next generation" is already unable to Afford nearly anything in FL. Sadly :-((((
I agree with you in many ways. I'm also originally from Florida, and with everything I'm doing now, I'm not in a place to purchase property there. As a "next generation" person, I left the U.S. entirely and live in a much more affordable economy elsewhere. The original idea behind seaside, as I remember the story, was to be an affordable place to live. the lots and buildings are tiny compared to conventional suburban sprawl. But the real estate phrase "location, location, location" rang true very quickly as the settlement's sense of place drastically outweighed the value normally given to closet space and kitchen countertops. So prices skyrocketed fast, and this happens anywhere there's a good sense of place amidst 99% placelessness. I appreciate New Urbanism for its ideals and I believe it can be more effective at achieving affordability when the tipping point is reached where there are enough placey places over placeless places. What is that tipping point? I'm not sure, and I don't know how many generations it will take.
@@blemmerman I'm originally from Pavia, Lombardia, North Italia...and I totally feel your "pain" about endless crazy growth. The Bronx WAS a delightful Place for a childhood (Bronx Zoo/Botanical Garden!!), SE FL (Boynton Bch) WAS the coolest Place to snorkel near-shore reefs as good as anywhere, Boca Raton, FL was once so "low-cost" that IBM developed their PC first there (their Engineers made great clients :-), ....sigh.... My career has had me chase FL boomtowns for 40+ years (now in Punta Gorda, FL). Started using CAD in '82 (MicroStation), and STILL miss pencil-on-vellum! Where...NEXT?! Even my Pavia's Po Valley is as lit-up as NYC :-((( Before self-building my own 7th ECOhome here, I'd built myself a small cruising sail catamaran (ECO6-design), and thought Suriname might be my "final" destination, but kinda NuTz, right???? Would you reveal what Country/Island your happy being at? BTW, I'm a FAMU-alumni. Go Rattlers!!!! :-) psssttt...I have a website, should you care?
@@blemmerman about "Urbanism", I once argued face-to-face with Seaside's then "famous" Designers at a charrette. About...WHY none of their designs for a SW FL city (Ft. Myers) included NO public toilets. And how their presented Stylings for that sub-tropical city represented blocky harshly-drab Federalism! Imagine!?? Well...they just fumbled with nonsense archi-babble, ughhh. Thankfully, the city created NONE of that :-) NONE of it included any forethought for rising sea rise, which H. Ian proved essential. I think the NEW Designers coming along will be the BEST, for all our old dude's "mistakes" & "prostitutions" (mine, included!!) Now, I give FREE PLANS to young folks wanting to self-build FL-SMART...sempre avanti :-)
Social housing isn't welfare and the only qay to solve US' homeless crisis.
Now I am scared 😮
Thankfully, it doesn't look like AI will replace human designers (anytime soon anyway). Since making this video, I have been able to incorporate some of these tools into my workflow to save all of us a ton of time in the concept phases of projects.
@@blemmerman it’s probably always better to have people designers with AI being one of many tools they can use.
How has AI gotten so versatile so fast? If some years ago someone would want to code a software for such a specific task the effort to get a reasonable result might not have outweighted the benefit and now there come along all these potent, yet universal tools. Just not perfect yet ... which certainly is a good thing for planners!
It's amazing how quickly it has developed. Midjourney now has a version 5.1, which is even better. These AI tools use massive computing power to sort of develop themselves, and we can't keep up. But we can partner with these tools to make things easier or generate inspirations like I did here. I'll share some other useful tools I've actually been using for my work soon, and I hope you find it helpful.
@@blemmerman Yeah, I guess so. Thanks for doing the research and presentation here, by the way. Interesting stuff!
Looking at all the planning horrors going on everywhere: AI should have been programmed for this long ago.
AI can be helpful for planning, and I believe we still need to be knowledgeable ourselves in order to know that what the machine generates aligns with the values we wish to manifest in this world.
I can subscribe to this statement.
That thumbnail looks like the buildings inside a 17th century fortress
Yeah, it kinda does - like at the tip of a peninsula.
Wow
Right?!?
This can actually be very usefull. It can help with creating ideas which you can use to create a perfect plan.
Yes, and I've found that if you give it some images as inspiration inside the prompt, it can generate more buildable outcomes based on those inspirations.
Well well well
Sorry what is AI you are using. I want to work with this company. Can you help to share me more
Amazing - it’s repeated the same mistakes real humans always do.
You're spot on. It's developed by humans after all, so it has all of the same quirks.
@@blemmerman It is less that the software is _created_ by humans and more that it is _trained_ on data that has human bias.
@@QemeH That is an excellent point.
We need input more functional meaning
@@AqoussRec Have you checked out Delve by Sidewalk Labs? It gives that level of control over urban design. Midjourney can then be used for the "visioning" part of the process.
all i see is that the modeller should only be trained on positive references. throwing in all the bad stuff we make that outnumbers the good stuff means most of the stuff that will be produced will be bad because this doesnt make new stuff, it makes remixes
I agree. Now all we need is a consensus on who shall be the authority on positive references, a handful of skilled programmers, and an AI program that can understand code, site conditions, and all things Western urban planning/architecture through the New Urbanist lens. Someone, somewhere will do it... will it be us?
all my jane jacobs homies hate garden cities smh
Rlly cool idea though!
Thanks.
What if you did this but with urban planning from the soviet union
Ohhhh, what a COOL Idea. Some of the images in this video have that kind of look to them too. Where else can we look for inspiration?
@@blemmerman I can't remember the book however it was full of soviet architecture with futuristic designs etc could use that as a template for the AI
This tool is really good for recreating the futurist pencil drawings from the turn of the last century. I think I have visions of what you're sharing. This could be an interesting topic. Thanks for the idea =)
i live about 20 miles away from seaside. whenever i want to be angry at rich people i drive through seaside and look at them.
I hear you. As the first of its kind, Seaside was actually developed as affordable with small lots and homes of simple wood construction. Those who first bought property there (many of whom were artists and teachers) benefitted greatly from the community's increase in overall property value as the town's notoriety increased and its character developed. No one expected this to happen quite like it did. Those who sold their lots benefitted greatly (right place, right time), and as time went on, it attracted more folks in higher income brackets who could afford it. This is a pattern in many New Urbanist settlements that's a tough one to resolve. Nice places go up in value and many people are left out in the process. I hope you'll help us solve this. In the meantime, I wish you luck with your anger toward rich people. I'm glad, at least, that you have an outlet nearby where you can release some of it without causing harm, and I also wish you wealth and abundance! ❤💰
I would call it questionable. If now an absolute failure. These masterplans are normally drawn down to square foot space efficiency and a lot of thought goes into it. Not good at all...
Certainly questionable. I wouldn't rely on these drawings either. Good site-specific masterplans do take a great deal of attention and care that AI isn't yet capable of.
That is very impressive, but then again why should I be surprised?
Over the last twenty years, software developers and computer engineers have been paid handsomely for technical R&D. And almost every young person has been profoundly working with software!
What also interests me is how most office desk work will get automated, while crafty careers in the middle (I.e.: plumbing) will still require big demand. We live in very fascinating times…
Remember when the idea behind computers was to give us more free time? AI also has this promise, yet our culture has the tendency to capitalize on these efficiencies and work even more. I hope we can live more balanced lives this time around. I appreciate what you're sharing about careers in the middle. I'm now able to make more time to work with my hands or enjoy the outdoors on days when I would have been sitting in an office. I'm grateful for the role technology has played in being able to do that, and as these tools get better, hopefully more of us can enjoy the time freedom it gives us without feeling compelled to work even more.
@@blemmerman What you say is very true. I just find it ironic how a lot of white collar office professionals had the belief that their work in automation, AI and computers will replace most blue collar work, but instead is replacing a lot of white collar jobs. XD
Yeah, it depends on what you do as well. I work as an electrician and there is always work in demand.
Why wasn't AI given specifics as to the type of residential buildings (single - duplex - apartments Vs condos)? Is this model meant to be self-sufficient?? Do children even exist in this Matrix???
Not before they take the blue pill =)
What? Where is the high speed rail station connecting the Florida Panhandle to Anchorage and Kennebunkport? And that horrifically huge parking lot for those awful and despicable cars! Oh Mah GAWD! Stupid Artificial Intelligence! Where is the walkability and beautiful homeless people shooting up free meth supplied by the compassionate and benevolent (and diverse) city elders? I'm going to start a movement cancelling AI. Who'se with me?
bro can’t even spell whose
Hey @MyBelch, thanks for your perspective. When it comes to oversized parking lots I couldn't agree more. Wouldn't it be amazing if more of us cherished the earth and utilized our land more responsibly? I'm a little confused by the rest of your comment, but I do wish you luck cancelling AI. Personally, I'm glad we have AI, which will hopefully one day put me out of a job or at least save me a lot of time so I can spend more time outdoors doing other things I love.
Hi there @drnotuseless. Thanks for engaging on the channel. Whether your view aligns with fellow community members or not, it's important that we don't make fun of one another. That sort of behavior creates further division, which isn't helpful for anyone's movement. That said, I appreciate you being here, and it's likely you and I share many of the same values when it comes to this line of work. I hope to see you here more often =)
Seperation isn't good.
US suburbias are boring purgatories because there are no shops, no Cafes, no restaurants, no public buildings for all kids of social activity.
And they are care centered.
Living nightmare for european standarts.
They giant parking lots are disturbing..
Why no public transportation???
Individual traffic in cars is against all logic and only serves Big Car and Big Oil.
A smart planned city makes private cars unneccessary and provides all kinds of transport including car-sharing services where you rent a car when you REALLY need one.
A giant parking lot is a failure.
It's not even a multi floor parking house, it's just concrete wasting space.
Thanks for sharing your insights!
🤮
Haha, can you say more about that?
What is the point of the "music" ? More explanation of your process would be better than the inane "music". unlike. Stopped watching. Could have been interesting.
Thanks for your feedback. I hope you'll stick around as I get better at this.
Wow this is terrible
I agree. And earlier this year, when these technologies were getting mass adoption, they felt very impressive. Now it's easier to see there's lots more room for improvement.
It left out the 50 foot seawall.
Maybe sea level rise is the one thing AI doesn't have to worry about... 🤣