The Evolutionary Adaptation of Urban Tissues through Computational Analysis

Abstract

The use of evolutionary solvers in design has introduced the potential of dealing with multiple conflicting objectives under a single design model. The experiments presented in this paper employ an evolutionary solver towards the generation of a 4x4 urban superblock in the city of Barcelona, one of the highest population density cities in Europe. The superblock is based on Cerda's iconic 8-sided block and takes three conflicting objectives into account, aiming not only to achieve a high density proposal but one that considers block relations, as well as green space throughout the city. The design is based on principles of evolutionary science, generating a population of solutions, whose individuals are ranked and selected based on a fitness criteria. Rather than aiming to reach a single 'optimal' solution, the model produces a population of solutions that are optimized in relation to the design environment.