VIRTUAL Manchester Livable Cities
Abstract
The rapid growth of high-rise developments has redefined contemporary cities as vertical urban environments. While these developments address density and land constraints, they often fail to create meaningful and human-scale experiences at the ground level, resulting in placeless urban conditions. Existing placemaking research has largely focused on traditional public spaces, with limited attention to the role of high-rise environments and their ground-level interfaces. This paper explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to enhance placemaking in vertical cities, with a particular focus on improving ground-level experience. By integrating human-centred design principles with AI-driven analysis and generative design tools, the study investigates how data-informed insights can support more responsive, inclusive, and engaging urban spaces. The research examines key factors such as human scale, social interaction, and spatial perception, and evaluates how AI technologies, including behavioural analysis, generative visualization, and participatory platforms, can inform design decision-making. Through a qualitative analysis of selected case studies and emerging AI applications in urban design, the paper highlights both the opportunities and limitations of AI in placemaking processes. While AI offers significant potential to enhance participation, optimize spatial configurations, and improve user experience, challenges related to bias, accessibility, and ethical considerations remain critical. The study argues that AI should not replace human-centred design but act as a supportive tool to re-establish meaningful, socially responsive ground-level environments in vertical cities. The study ultimately positions AI as a mediator between data-driven insights and human-centred design, enabling more inclusive and context-sensitive urban environments.
Vigisha Gopalakrishnan is an academician, architect, and urban planner, currently the Subject lead for the School of Design Innovation at De Montfort University Dubai. Her work sits at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, and design pedagogy, with a focus on studio-based learning, inclusive teaching practices, and interdisciplinary education. Her research interests include smart cities, sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS), and placemaking, with a particular focus on how these approaches can contribute to more resilient, inclusive, and context-responsive urban environments.
Asidha Tharumannil Sidhik is an architecture lecturer at De Montfort University Dubai, with over three years of experience in teaching design studios and architectural representation. Her work focuses on integrating human-centered design approaches within architectural education, with particular interest in placemaking, urban experience, and the role of emerging technologies in design. Her teaching practice emphasizes studio-based learning, encouraging students to explore site-responsive design, spatial thinking, and critical engagement with real-world contexts. She actively incorporates digital tools, including AR/VR and AI, to enhance both design processes and student learning outcomes. Her current research explores placemaking in high-density urban environments, with a focus on improving ground-level experience in vertical cities through AI-assisted design strategies.