Virtual urban development
An interactive experience exploring ideas for the future of cities
Can AI help shape the city?
In the Smart City Division, we are piloting the use of AI-powered image processing in collaboration with several departments within the city administration to engage citizens in discussions about urban development. As part of initial pilot projects, we are using a specialized AI tool to test how artificial intelligence can help develop and visualize ideas, and how this can be applied by various departments in participatory formats within the context of urban development.
Urban Visions for Wiesbaden
At the Zukunftswerk Wiesbaden, citizens have the opportunity to discover in a playful way how cities can change.
At the heart of the experience is an interactive touch table powered by AI. It displays real locations in Wiesbaden and invites visitors—whether alone or with others—to develop various ideas and visions for these places based on clear categories. The application lets users experience how different priorities lead to different outcomes and where conflicting goals arise.
Why participate?
The goal is simple: We want to spark curiosity, reveal connections, and stimulate the imagination. What might Wiesbaden look like in the future if we set different priorities—for example, regarding mobility, green spaces, or community gathering places?
This is an invitation to citizens to imagine the city of the future and to discuss it with others. Come by and give it a try!
Participatory Workshops
Can visualization improve civic participation and dialogue? Do citizens engage differently when they can develop their own visions for the spaces being designed? We’re testing this through a series of initial participatory workshops in which we’re using an AI image-editing tool.
A special collaborative project focuses on children’s ideas: Together with the Department of School Social Work for Children at the Office of Social Work, elementary school students explore their surroundings and then use AI to redesign them according to their own wishes. The central question: What would our neighborhood look like if it were designed with children in mind?
This project enables children to actively participate in urban design and transform their visions into digital designs. This gives rise to new perspectives and creative ideas for a city worth living in!
In collaboration with the city’s Youth Information Center (JIZ), initial workshops on designing youth spaces and school interiors were also held.
The benefits:
- Complex relationships become clear: The tool visualizes how different factors influence one another and makes current challenges in urban planning processes easier to understand.
- By experimenting with different priorities, it becomes clear just how varied the demands on limited public space in the city can be—and why it’s not always possible to fulfill all wishes at the same time.
- Through shared experiences and discussions, the tool facilitates dialogue about the diverse visions for a city’s future.
Who benefits from it?
- Citizens can publicly try out and experience AI.
- The city administration and its departments receive valuable input from various target groups.
- The entire city community benefits from creative and inclusive ideas for a livable future for the city.