Close
Search
Menu Menu

Amateur urban planners use DALL-E to re-imagine cities without cars

Credit: Zack Katz
By
London, UK
2 energy + Add Energy
What is energy?
Want to show your appreciation? Give an article “Energy” and it will help us know what you like.
0 comments
0 comments

You probably know the DALL-E application best for the strange meme material it generates, but it has genuinely useful applications too. Recently, amateur urban planners have been using it to re-imagine cities designed for pedestrians, and the results are captivating.

DALL-E is where many of us go to waste time, right?

A dull afternoon at work is made that little bit brighter by generating absurd memes like Shrek at the strip club, or Pokémon in the Love Island villa. That isn’t what we’re talking about here though.

If you’re currently a little confused, allow us to explain. DALL-E is an open source AI software created by a company called OpenAI.

Currently in the beta phase of its second iteration, (DALL-E 2) it is best described as a text-to-image generation tool that produces artwork based on user-inputted descriptions.

https://youtu.be/alJdw4JDJ4o

The platform we initially mentioned is DALL-E mini, a watered down version of the tech created for the public by craiyon.com. Click here to see just how bizarre the results can be.

While 90% of DALL-E creations you’ll see on Twitter and Reddit are a blend of hilarious and ridiculous, a user called @betterstreetsai has been putting the machine learning system to good use.

Zach Katz, a 28-year-old artist, musician, and amateur urban planner has created a website and matching Twitter handle where he shares re-imagined visualisations of American cities – ones that cater to pedestrians and not cars.

Images of busy traffic intersections, often taken from GPS apps like Google Earth’s street view, are fed through the DALL-E 2 and accompanied by a bunch of text prompts.

The results, show teaming urban areas and roadways purged of traffic and replaced by serene walkways and grassy plains. Best of all, they’re realistic prospects from an urban planning perspective too.

Below are two alternate versions of Canal Street in New York that closely mimic the original, but with stretching bicycle lanes, plants, and paths for people to enjoy at a leisurely pace… without the revving and pungent smell of petrol engines.

‘I’m still figuring it out,’ said Katz, who now lives in New York after six months in Amsterdam.

‘It definitely does take a good amount of work to get a good picture. Part of it is just getting DALL-E to make something that isn’t totally fucked up. Sometimes it will just make a deep canyon in the middle of the street thinking it’s a water fountain.’

Nevertheless, when DALL-E gets it right, the results are pretty special. Even Brooklyn’s Queen’s Expressway has received the green treatment and shows a spot people would genuinely enjoy to visit. Katz is fielding requests on Twitter now, if you’ve got any burning ideas.

One recent content submitter, Nicole Aptekar, has attended Department of Transportation community meetings, and states that these re-imaginings are ‘powerful’ tools to bring to the table.

‘If you’re following the account, shove this in your mayor’s face. They need to see this,’ said Katz. ‘I’d like to let the images speak for themselves.’

Tech Editor London, UK

I’m Jamie (He/Him), the Deputy Editor and a Senior Writer at Thred. Keeping up with social media updates and revolutionary technology is my forte, but when away from my keyboard, you’ll probably find me wrapped around a large Tango ice blast at the latest mediocre horror flick. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

Popular

Keep up with thred by signing up to our planet-positive newsletter!

More from thred.

‘Bionic eye’ solves mystery of Plato’s final resting place
Credit: Thred
Offbeat

‘Bionic eye’ solves mystery of Plato’s final resting place

Italian researcher, Graziano Ranocchia, may have finally solved the mystery of Plato’s final resting place. An AI-powered ‘bionic eye’ scanned a 2,000-year-old carbonised scroll written around 348 BC which pinpointed a specific location in Athens. The mystery of where one of the world’s greatest philosophers rests may have just been solved – by a machine, ironically. The burial of Plato, arguably the most revered of the foundational thinkers of Greek philosophy...

By London, UK
Nature has officially become a musician
Credit: Pexels
Media

Nature has officially become a musician

As part of a new campaign, nature has been recognised as an artist on major streaming platforms, including Spotify. Royalties will go towards supporting climate action initiatives across the globe. Temperatures are rising, habitats are diminishing, and glaciers are melting at an unprecedented rate. As the climate changes, the Earth’s suffering continues to reach new heights, and the reality that we’re running out of time to do something about it becomes...

By London, UK
What is the ‘Dead Internet Theory’ and is it real?
Credit: Thred
Offbeat

What is the ‘Dead Internet Theory’ and is it real?

With the ceaseless growth of AI since 2022, conspiracies surrounding the so-called ‘Dead Internet Theory’ have grown stronger. First thing’s first, though, what the hell is it and does it have any credibility? Is this an online rabbit hole worth getting lost in? Is it pure storm in a teacup? Did a human even write this article? So many questions. If you spend any significant amount of time on Twitter (X)...

By London, UK
What are ‘adult gap years’ and why are they on the rise?
Credit: Unsplash
Offbeat

What are ‘adult gap years’ and why are they on the rise?

Most commonly a pre-uni rite of passage for teens and people in their early 20s, putting everything on hold to travel the world is fast becoming a trend among older generations looking for a break from the relentless nature of life as a grown up. Typically associated with the brink of adulthood, a gap year is a period of development for those with the time and resources to travel, volunteer,...

By London, UK
Accessibility