Dear designboom reader,

Urban spaces today use technology to develop smart infrastructures. This is evident in the AI-powered systems anchored by Zaha Hadid Architects in their city masterplan for Sharjah, UAE. In Milan, it is the array of solar panels on the roof of the completed Olympic Village, built ahead of the 2026 Winter Games.

Some recent masterplans also involve the use of natural materials and surroundings. They incorporate wetlands, local flora, and even public art, as seen in BIG’s reactivation of three plazas in Copenhagen. In AIDIA STUDIO’s case, it is a series of timber slabs forming the roofs of Mexico’s Parque Quintana Roo.

Thanks for reading!

Matthew Burgos | Senior Editor