When will we see real futuristic cities?

[MirceaKitsune]

Most science fiction artwork I've come across seems to revolve around one idea when it comes to how cities will look in the near future: Tall buildings, with round parts and funky designs, an exterior layer consisting mostly of glass, and parks / farms with trees and solar / eolian panels on the rooftops. Cars are also portrayed as having a much rounder and modern design, funky discrete headlights / taillights, larger wheels, and so on.

 

For some reason, this stereotypical and realistic view of the recent future is appealing. So appealing, that I'm starting to wonder if and when we are going to see such cities for real. Which is my question for this thread; When will we?

 

Thing is, this futuristic portrait feels likely because it also makes a lot of sense. For example, switching to green energy and fighting pollution and C02 emissions is a must... so most buildings planting trees and placing solar panels on their rooftops makes sense, as well as growing vegetables in such an area to help with food sustainability. In regard to architecture, buildings which are larger at the base and smaller at the top are more resistant to earthquakes or bomb attacks, while domes are resistant shapes too because they distribute their tension equally across the surface. Using LED's for street lighting is a lot cheaper and more efficient than ordinary bulbs... which is why this is already happening in many countries, even if slowly.

 

So why shouldn't we have stuff like this in the near future, and when do you estimate we're going to see any:

 

http://stylepantry.com/2011/01/21/tianjin-futuristic-eco-city-arcology/

 

http://futuristicnews.com/future-london-video/

 

http://www.evolo.us/architecture/bionic-arch-is-a-futuristic-green-skyscraper-for-taichung-vincent-callebaut/

 

http://www.cgtrader.com/blog/20-concept-cars-you-could-drive-in-2020

 

[Phi for All]

It's a process. Planning for such a city takes quite a while, since you can't just knock everything down and build all modern.

 

Also, an image like the above is a fully integrated system, with each building seeming like it's the same age and design aesthetic as all the others. This never happens unless the city is built like this to begin with. In reality, old systems need to match the new ones or you've got major problems.

 

It's also typical (at least in US major cities) that improvements end up being out of date by the time they're finished. In Denver a few years back, we made improvements to a major interstate highway, knowing that when it was done in five years it would be inadequate for the traffic at that time. Improvements are usually incremental.

[mississippichem]

A futuristic city, by definition, cannot be observed. Any potential futuristic city instantaneously decays into a present city plus an anti-neutrino upon being interacted with .

[Ophiolite]

I've never seen reality match an artist's impression. Be careful what you wish for. You may get transferred to Dubai.

[MirceaKitsune]

It's a process. Planning for such a city takes quite a while, since you can't just knock everything down and build all modern.

 

Also, an image like the above is a fully integrated system, with each building seeming like it's the same age and design aesthetic as all the others. This never happens unless the city is built like this to begin with. In reality, old systems need to match the new ones or you've got major problems.

 

It's also typical (at least in US major cities) that improvements end up being out of date by the time they're finished. In Denver a few years back, we made improvements to a major interstate highway, knowing that when it was done in five years it would be inadequate for the traffic at that time. Improvements are usually incremental.

 

Yeah, remaking existing buildings would be a challenge... although I see it being possible in many large cities. For example, attaching diagonal supports around existing tall buildings for better earthquake support should be pretty easy, granted there's enough free space around the building as this would make it wider. As a side effect, that would also yield in designs like the concept I'm referring to.

 

I think the easiest and most important step however is switching all buildings to own green power sources, and planting additional grass and trees on them for cleaner air. Solar panels can be placed diagonally under each window, eolian windmills on the rooftops. If you can get enough dirt up there, it should also be easy to plant large trees on the roof as well... and as an added bonus, you could even plant vines between the windows to cover the entire building vertically. Imagine your block looking like a huge rectangular plant with windows from the outside

 

Only real requirement is for the structure to be stable enough to support the weight, which shouldn't be a huge problem.

 

A futuristic city, by definition, cannot be observed. Any potential futuristic city instantaneously decays into a present city plus an anti-neutrino upon being interacted with .

 

Right... by bad there I meant if in 10 years from now, we might see what we consider a futuristic city today.

 

I've never seen reality match an artist's impression. Be careful what you wish for. You may get transferred to Dubai.

 

I'm not looking for reality to match a specific artist's impression. Just saying that the common idea in all art of this sort is not only appealing, but also realistic and useful. We need green energy sources, we need to reduce pollution urgently, so going for those scifi green cities make perfect sense. In fact it feels like an unavoidable first step to fight depleting oil and climate change!

 

Also, it's not just about fighting those factors. There's often talk about how people (especially in cities) are depressed due to their separation from nature, which biologically speaking makes perfect sense. I think everyone wants to replace many current cities, which virtually look like cement blocks, with places where small forests or parks are located on the roofs or suspended platforms.

 

And I think I read somewhere about Dubai doing something in this regard. Would like to see some pictures when it happens