Joerg Haentzschel interviews the young architect Bjarke Ingels. Through offices now established in Copenhagen and New York, Ingels is slowly pushing his 'pragmatic utopian architecture' into the mainstream.
Ingels explains his fascination with american writer Ray Kurzweil, who introduced the concept of singularity - 'a bold prediction of a not-too-distant future in which artificial intelligence will overtake the human brain in processing power, leading to a merging of man and machine, and an irreversible transformation of our being in the world.'
Ingels describes how his approach to design is based on trying to plan for a future in which an exponential growth in processing power could change the way we live, interface with machines and augment our bodies. Copenhagen's 'Loop City,' is Ingels' plan to improve the connection of ten municipalities with each other and the city center. In order to create it he worked with ReD Associates to target efficiencies that could best improve connectivity.
FULL STORY: Singularity is plural: The Optimism of BJARKE INGELS and RAY KURZWEIL

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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