Urban voids are spaces within cities that have lost their original function or were never fully integrated into the urban structure. These areas often include brownfields, abandoned industrial zones, leftover plots between infrastructures, or isolated urban islands. Although they are frequently perceived as empty, useless, or problematic, urban voids represent important residual resources with high potential for future development.
Brownfields are a typical example of urban voids. They are often located in valuable positions close to city centers, transport lines, or water bodies, yet they remain unused due to contamination, unclear ownership, or economic challenges. As cities continue to grow and face problems such as climate change, housing shortages, and social inequality, these neglected spaces become increasingly important. Instead of expanding cities outward, reusing existing urban land is a more sustainable approach.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology offers new tools for understanding and transforming urban voids. AI can analyze large amounts of urban data, such as land use, mobility patterns, environmental conditions, and social behavior. Through this analysis, AI helps identify hidden potentials of brownfields and urban islands that might not be visible through traditional planning methods. For example, AI can simulate different redevelopment scenarios and evaluate their environmental, social, and economic impacts.
In the context of residual resources, AI can support adaptive and flexible design strategies. Urban voids often require non-standard solutions because of their complex history and fragmented structure. AI-driven design tools can generate multiple design options, optimize spatial layouts, and respond to changing conditions over time. This is especially valuable for brownfields, where uncertainty plays a major role in the planning process.
Furthermore, AI technology can contribute to participatory urban design. By processing data from citizens, social media, or public surveys, AI can help planners understand how people perceive and use urban voids. This can lead to more inclusive and community-oriented projects, transforming abandoned spaces into active public places, ecological corridors, or mixed-use developments.
In conclusion, urban voids and brownfields should not be seen as empty or problematic spaces, but as residual resources with strong potential for sustainable urban transformation. AI technology provides innovative methods to analyze, design, and activate these urban islands. By combining architectural thinking with advanced digital tools, cities can turn neglected areas into meaningful and resilient parts of the urban fabric.
