We got tricked by science fiction into thinking a futuristic city is all about flying cars and crystal towers and hologram billboards but what it really looks like is nice apartment blocks, good mass transit, pedestrian zones with shade trees and safe bike lanes.
That's fantastic.
I get really good vibes from the green, fractal brutalist French housing development Ivry-sur-Seine—though I guess all that concrete construction typically ages poorly.
But the vibes!
Aaaaah I'm so glad I found someone who hasn't read them! A friend introduced me to the first book and urged me to read it right away. I got the audiobook and went on a ~5h hike, finishing the book in one go. I remember walking back to my car, sobbing and crying with a big smile on my face.
Becky Chambers is generally absolutely amazing. Her space opera series starting with "A Long Way To A Small Angry Planet" is equally wonderful, as is the novella "To be taught, if fortunate". Highly recommended!
On a serious note, as long as you're using native plants, I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with seed bombing. Lots of plants use birds to scatters seeds that way naturally already!
I think it certainly fits. An advanced city with clean air, in harmony with natural surroundings, and an emphasis on walkability rather than personal vehicles. It's not quite as verdant as some other solarpunk-type imagery, but there's plenty of greenery, both on and around the buildings.
Yeah, but that would make for a really expensive movie set.
Let's go shoot at the Cal Poly Architecture building or the CEO of Oakley's house
www.realtor.com/news/celebri....
The image is inspiring, but where are the solar panels? Green roofs and walls are nice as long as they are partly shaded by BIPV. For a more renewable energy focused perspective of a solarpunk future, browse through the online portfolios at Land Art Generator: landartgenerator.org
Its beautiful. Lovely.
But…
Oh gods I don’t even want to point this out but I feel compelled.
Plants EAT buildings. And buildings in general are not kind to plants.
That is a VERY high maintenance cityscape. Not really sustainable, in any sense.
Sadly.
To be clear @astrokatie.com’s description is spot on. It’s the image that I’m picking on.
Such a city would have lots of green open space. But you want to intersperse clusters of built stuff and green stuff. Not plants growing on every building like the picture.
It’d still be really pretty 😍
