AI will improve urban life, not replace humans, say experts at Seoul city planning conference

Urban planners should always prioritize human connections and quality of life when adopting AI into city solutions, experts said Thursday at an international conference hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Speakers and participants clap during a group photo session at the “AI and the Great Transformation of Urban Planning” conference at City Hall in central Seoul on Dec. 11. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Urban planners should always prioritize human connections and quality of life when adopting AI into city solutions, experts said Thursday at an international conference on urban planning hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Urban developers, city officials and scholars at the “AI and the Great Transformation of Urban Planning” conference at City Hall in central Seoul agreed that AI would not replace humans — instead, it would function as a “tool” supporting human decision-making to create sustainable spaces for people and the environment.

"Connection, friendship, outdoor activities, nature and diversity bring people together, and this is important to our life quality,” said Peter Vangsbo, a climate and sustainability services director from engineering firm ARUP Denmark. “This is where AI can help us.”

This year’s conference — the 12th of its kind since its inaugural hosting in 2008 — brought AI to the forefront as the city strives to build a “data-driven and pre-emptive forecast system.” The city believes that conventional reactive approaches are no longer fit for tackling today’s complex urban problems.

Nam Jung-hyun, director-general of urban planning at the city government, said AI could help yield data-driven scientific solutions and make the city more sustainable when combined with Seoul's digital infrastructure and the profound amount of public and private data.

The city views AI as an indispensable tool for survival and evolution. It is currently developing an “S-Map” using digital twin technology to help AI read the landscape with some 600,000 buildings and real-time traffic data in three dimensions. Digital twin technology replicates real-world objects virtually.

By 2040, Seoul aims to become a “self-autonomous intelligent city,” in which its digital and AI-embedded systems automatically predict potential urban issues and provide timely solutions for population and environmental challenges.

Peter Vangsbo, a climate and sustainability services director from engineering firm ARUP Denmark, gives a lecture at the “AI and the Great Transformation of Urban Planning” conference held at City Hall in central Seoul on Dec. 11. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Vangsbo stressed that AI-measured analyses combined with nature-based solutions would “increase people’s livability.”

“We measured urban configuration and biodiversity, such as movement of butterflies, through different types of AI” to make the neighborhood greener and more livable, Vangsbo said. His team offered nature-oriented solutions and piloted them in a Copenhagen neighborhood through the Living Lab project.

“It was amazing to see that the local community was embracing this type of initiative — different housing associations compete to make their residential areas cleaner — and becoming more active in urban planning discussions,” Vangsbo said.

Vangsbo also said that AI can help people respond more effectively to natural disasters and build more environmentally resilient cities.

“Using spatial and weather data with AI to forecast climate scenarios is crucial for making resilient cities,” he said. His team integrated its climate model with a flood protection system after Denmark experienced a severe cloudburst in 2010, enabling more accurate climate predictions for urban planning projects.

Laura Narvaez Zertuche, an urban designer at the British firm Foster + Partners, stressed that incorporating social context is essential when using AI for urban planning in a prerecorded speech.

“What AI predicts is based not only on patterns of image data [such as maps] but also patterns of social awareness, urban population and their cultures,” Zertuche said. “Urban AI seeks to ensure that the technology enhances the social fabric of cities, preserves freedom, and aligns with human values.”

She noted that urban intelligence with AI begins with ideas from citizens and stakeholders, develops through data analysis and visualization, and ultimately leads to decision-making.

“We need to urbanize wisely, intelligently,” Zertuche said. “It has to be efficient with the AI technology, and it has to be for people.”

The conference was also attended by Kim Seong-bo, Seoul’s second vice mayor for administrative affairs, Lee Se-won, a research fellow at the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, and officials from the Korea Urban and Real Estate Association.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]