Cellular automata, such as Conway's "game of life" algorithm, operate on the principle that the state of one cell depends on the states of its neighbors (either they live in synergy with their neighbors, or they die due to insufficient population or, conversely, overcrowding).

Could we use this simple algorithm from the 1970s as a new method of urban planning—almost as an anti-zoning tool?

Game of City is an experiment exploring the use of cellular automata for urban planning as a method for creating urban plans with high local diversity without the need for zoning.

A modified four-state algorithm was applied to a reclaimed slag heap in Ostrava, which required a redistribution of functions on a human scale. The results can be viewed as distribution diagrams that can be used either as a basis for new structural development or as an analytical tool for existing neighborhoods.

Studio project in collaboration with Filip Bala