Powering Urban Innovation and Imagination
This radar highlights innovative solutions designed to help people imagine and build the future of cities. We focus on SDG11—Sustainable Cities and Communities—to promote inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable urban development. By aligning with this globally accepted guideline, we aim to make a meaningful impact on how cities evolve.
This resource is free and open-access, ensuring it reaches decision-makers, politicians, startups, businesses, policymakers, educators, and the public. In this version of the Envisioning Cities radar, we go beyond emerging technologies by including policies, ideas, strategies, concepts, and trends. This broadened focus demonstrates that the future of cities depends on more than just technology; social, political, cultural, and economic shifts play an equally important role.
Our Work
- Developed an interactive AI-powered tool for urban innovation.
- Features 90+ solutions encompassing policies, ideas, strategies, trends, and technologies.
- Enhanced user experience with AI-generated images created with Midjourney.
- Ongoing research with periodic updates.
Impact
- Provides urban planners with actionable insights.
- Free and open-access, this radar can be used by decision-makers, students, educators and citizens.
- Increased potential reach with content and AI-Assistant in English and Brazilian Portuguese.
- Material has been used in workshops and urban innovation classes.
- Supports Sustainable Development Goals (SDG11).
- Tagged for the New Urban Agenda and Resilient Recovery: Building Back Better frameworks.
Envisioning Cities is one of our first AI-powered radars, featuring a GPT-based AI assistant that allows users to ask questions and engage with the content interactively. For instance, users can ask, "What are the most promising sustainable solutions?" Within seconds, the assistant provides a personalized response, highlighting relevant entries.
This project is an ongoing exploration of replicable, high-impact urban innovation solutions, with periodic updates. Hosted on a personalized and intuitive custom CMS platform, the content is based on secondary research and enriched by expert insights from urban innovators and city officials through qualitative research.
The Envisioning Cities radar and AI Assistant are available in both English and Brazilian Portuguese, broadening accessibility and SEO. This multilingual feature also enhances its application in workshops, whether virtual or on-site, such as the Campus Party.