The Future of City Squares: Robotics in the Urban Design of Tomorrow

Abstract

Technological development generates social changes while providing new tools that can be implemented in the fields of architecture and urban design. It creates the need to enrich architects’ competencies with knowledge and experience, enabling the conscious use of technology in designing future functional solutions for responsive space and the optimization of accessibility for various groups of users. This paper presents a teaching method developed to study the integration of architecture, urban planning and mechatronics to create a dynamic common space, responding to changing user needs and environmental conditions. Four experimental projects for a chosen public space were designed by students in order to investigate research by design and as an agenda for further design research. In the final part of the article, we present predictions for the future development of kinetic and responsive architecture in public spaces, including potential opportunities and challenges.