All cities are not created equal. Each is designed, developed, and actually constructed at different points in time. This affects architecture, building stock, and even the people who live there. Urban transformation is inevitable because people have evolving needs. We are challenged with maintaining a balanced ecosystem through every urban development (new or old). The video I’ve decided to post this week is by Lilium Urbanus, a collaborative senior thesis project by Anca Risca and Joji Tsuruga, recent graduates of the School of Visual Arts. These two individuals may not be urban planners or environmentalists, but have chosen to use their digital talents in urban design and animation. The video envisions “the city of the future” starting as a seed growing into a sprout transforming into a village and finally becoming the metropolis of the future. However, each metropolis of the future cannot be created from one seed because then you we just have an overgrown forest that could not sustain itself. In your minds, what does this seed represent? Furthermore, we have so many existing urban areas that building new cities would be a tremendous waste of resources compared to redeveloping existing cities to be more environmentally friendly.

So what exactly is Lillum Urbanus exactly saying? Do current cities have no future? Will the growth of cities eventually create a life where people are connected by trains, cars, and tunnels without seeing the light of day?

You have to admit that, although beautifully animated, there is something strangely creepy about the idea of a city morphing into a flower, giving off the only form of light in the world. Risca and Joli allow your mind to wander in this video. There is definitely a transformation, but is this transformation good or bad? This video shows a very extreme example of what is currently happening with new concepts of urban design and what can be expected for the future. We like to believe that since all takes root from the seed, that the seed still has a place (the environment is not forgotten) as we continue expanding our communities and our cities limits.

Lilium Urbanus from Joji Tsuruga on Vimeo.