Meta London  

Studio Shajay Bhooshan

Tutors Henry Louth, Keerti Manney

Team Aria Torabi Nejad Karmani, Karan Kaushikkumar Lotwala, Shubham Sharad Kale, Krish Rajesh Nasta 

In the evolution of society, cities stand as pivotal hubs driving progress, demanding continuous design innovation to captivate inhabitants and foster vibrant urban living. The motivation behind design research for Meta Cities revolves around crafting a blueprint to promote cities' growth through high-density infill developments by creating socially engaging urban spaces. This blueprint essentially serves as a prototype for city expansion, integrating innovative design frameworks to redefine urban forms. 

Although, megacities have extensive transit networks, much of the land adjacent to these massive transport systems remains underutilized, this presents an opportunity to expand urban areas through high-density infill projects, tailoring urban models and attracting a younger demographic at the same time. Our designs aspire to offer an interactive lifestyle embedded with hyperconnectivity. To explore this vision, London serves as our experimental ground, with the goal of doubling city's population and economy within next 25 years. 

As Research on urban design led to the understanding of the direct link between land use and citizen satisfaction, it becomes evident that a diverse and efficient mix of land utilization is vital for a thriving city. This comprehension forms foundational design principles, translating into architectural and urban systems spanning various city locations. These emergent systems are designed to provide highly programmed, mutually beneficial mixed-development conditions, aiming for economic maximization for both the city and its residents. 

The development of these prototype district scenarios involves input from key stakeholder communities and undergoes evaluation through a sophisticated land-use and growth simulation. Drawing insights from city-building game engines, this simulation serves as a prototype system, deriving a foundational template that acts as a catalyst for propelling urban growth. Ultimately, the design initiatives behind Meta Cities aim to reignite population and economic dynamics while reshaping urban forms.