After talking about future city with automatic cars, the first step is to create a new structure (or pattern) for Xiong’an new area, which could show how smart vehicles will shape our city.

[Superblock]

Superblock was raised in 20th century, applied in Barcelona
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/8/18273893/barcelona-spain-urban-planning-cars

Superblock is a good example to talk about automatic cars. Automatic cars could cut the number of necessary cars while superblock tried to create a car-free area. The key point is that the concept of superblock didn’t mention any new technologies. It will help us to image a high-tech future city.

The rules for cars in superblock
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/9/18273894/barcelona-urban-planning-superblocks-poblenou

The problem what modern city face is walking space divided by city road. So vehicles are not allowed to enter the superblock. Even necessary cars have to keep a low speed.

Poblendu is the first superblock in Barcelona.
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/9/18273894/barcelona-urban-planning-superblocks-poblenou
People could have seats on road.
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/9/18273894/barcelona-urban-planning-superblocks-poblenou
How the superblock will benefit the city.
…to expand accessible space of city
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/11/18273896/barcelona-spain-politics-superblocks
It is possible to get everywhere without private cars.
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/10/18273895/traffic-barcelona-superblocks-gentrification

Superblock could benefit a city a lot. But the most important reason is that a car-free city is possible. With public transport, it is possible to get everywhere without private cars, which mean it is not necessary to drive into a superblock.

Some “NO” about superblock

However, there is still some disagreement. Some residents believe that it is only benefit the central part of a superblock. And some wondered if 30% road of a city can afford 100% cars. Another question is if superblock will work with out regular blocks.

In conclusion, Superblock is a advanced concept. But we have no idea if it is the answer for modern city.

[Automatic Cars in Xiong’an New Area]

In fact, there are many companies experimenting with unmanned cars in xiong’an, but Baidu is one of the largest. Baidu’s Apollo has successfully built a smart car on the road.

Apollo’s white book about smart traveling
3 step Apollo planed for smart traveling

Apollo released a white book about smart traveling, which show its plan about transport in the future. Not only they built smart cars, but also tried to build a system for smart city.

Apollo’s white book(Chinese).

[To Create New Structure]

Picture on Upside is from
del Campo, Matias, and Sandra Manninger. “Towards Hallucinating Machines – Designing with Computational Vision.” IJAC (2020): n. pag. Web.

[Attempt]

[Diagram of future city]

One thought on “ New Structure of Future City ”

Leave a comment