ChatGPT 4 - imagining a solarpunk Albuquerque
I used the ChatGPT4 image generator to reimagine New Mexico's biggest city as a more sustainable, walkable, and green urban environment.
The ChatGPT 4 image generator is a lot of fun. If you haven’t tried it, you should. You can prompt the AI to create a photo or painting of just about anything and it’s fairly responsive to recommended changes to the image. Someone named @AlbuquerqueTurk on X has posted some cool AI-generated photos of what dense housing and public places could look like in New Mexico, and the results are beautiful:
As an avid urbanist, it’s fun to see our mostly car-centric urban environment turned into something more sustainable and enjoyable. I’ve been playing with Chat GPT recently and decided to finally try the image generator myself. Naturally, I too asked ChatGPT to depict my home city of Albuquerque as a more sustainable, denser, and greener version of itself - kind of ‘solarpunk’, if you will. I found the results to be, if nothing else, quite beautiful.
Below is the entire “chat” I had with the ChatGPT 4 image generator.
Me:
Generate an image of a mid-rise mixed-use building with a bustling restaurant on the first floor and multi-income housing above, on a walkable street in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and make the building a traditional Pueblo Revival style.
image generator:
Here is the image of a mid-rise mixed-use building in the traditional Pueblo Revival style, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The first floor features a bustling restaurant, and above it, there are several stories of multi-income housing. The building is on a walkable street, fitting well into the vibrant community setting. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to adjust or add!
Me:
Now generate an aerial view of an entire neighborhood constructed with buildings like the one pictured above, and add lots of greenery on the streets which are occupied by cyclists, pedestrians, and public transit.
image generator:
Here's the aerial view of a neighborhood in Albuquerque, designed with buildings in the Pueblo Revival style similar to the one you saw earlier. The streets are adorned with greenery and bustling with cyclists, pedestrians, and public transit, creating a lively and sustainable community atmosphere. If you have any further adjustments or additions in mind, feel free to let me know!
Me:
Reduce the amount of vehicle lanes and make the bike lane more prominent. Also, increase the variety of size and coloring of the buildings.
image generator:
The updated aerial view of the neighborhood now features reduced vehicle lanes and a more prominent bike lane, aligning with your request for a cyclist-friendly environment. The buildings display a greater variety in size and coloring, adding diversity to the urban landscape. This version of the neighborhood further emphasizes green, sustainable living with its enhanced focus on cycling and pedestrian areas. Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to adjust or if this aligns with your vision!
Me:
Increase the amount of greenery and commercial activity on the walkways, and add solar panels and gardens on the roofs of the buildings.
image generator:
The neighborhood has been updated to include more greenery and commercial activity on the walkways. The buildings, still in the Pueblo Revival style, now feature solar panels and rooftop gardens, enhancing the eco-friendly aspect of the urban design. The streets and sidewalks are more vibrant, with additional shops, outdoor cafes, and street vendors. This iteration of the neighborhood emphasizes environmental sustainability and a lively, community-focused atmosphere. If there's anything more you'd like to modify or add, just let me know!
Me:
Reduce the vehicle lanes again, and add a car-free town square that has restaurants, greenery, and people. Also, increase the variety in building color and size.
image generator:
The neighborhood now features even fewer vehicle lanes and includes a new car-free town square. This square is a lively community space, bustling with restaurants, greenery, and people, and is entirely pedestrian-oriented. The buildings around it, maintaining the Pueblo Revival style, now exhibit more variety in size and color, adding to the vibrant and dynamic character of the area. This updated view highlights a strong commitment to sustainable urban living and community-focused spaces. If you have any more adjustments or additions in mind, feel free to share!
Me:
Take the image above, but make the streets much more narrow.
image generator:
The updated image now shows the Albuquerque neighborhood with much narrower streets, enhancing its pedestrian-friendly character. The car-free town square continues to be a vibrant focal point, surrounded by diverse and colorful buildings in the Pueblo Revival style. This adaptation further supports the theme of a community-centric and sustainable urban environment, focused on walkability and reduced vehicle reliance. If there are any further modifications you'd like, just let me know!
Me:
Now cover the streets with solar panels that are 30 feet off the ground
image generator:
The neighborhood now features streets covered with solar panels, elevated 30 feet off the ground. These solar panel canopies not only generate renewable energy but also provide shade to the narrow, pedestrian-friendly streets below. The car-free town square and the surrounding colorful buildings in the Pueblo Revival style are complemented by this innovative addition. This design merges traditional architecture with advanced sustainable technology, offering a unique and eco-friendly urban landscape. If there are any more changes or details you'd like to explore, feel free to tell me!
Me:
Now make it a car-free street with bike lanes and a tram.
image generator:
The neighborhood scene has been transformed into a completely car-free street, now featuring bike lanes and a tram. The solar panel canopies above continue to provide both shade and renewable energy. The spacious bike lanes encourage cycling, while the tram line offers an efficient and eco-friendly public transportation option. This car-free environment underscores a commitment to sustainability and pedestrian-friendly design, all while maintaining the vibrant and community-focused atmosphere with the Pueblo Revival-style buildings and lush greenery. If there's anything else you'd like to adjust or add, please let me know!
Me:
Now add a LOT more greenery
image generator:
The car-free Albuquerque neighborhood street scene is now enhanced with a lot more greenery. The area is densely populated with lush trees, plants, and landscaped areas, creating a verdant urban oasis. This rich tapestry of green intertwines with the bike lanes and tram line, under the solar panel canopies, showcasing a harmonious blend of technology and nature. The Pueblo Revival-style buildings are nestled within this green environment, emphasizing a strong commitment to eco-friendly living. If there are any more modifications or details you'd like, just let me know!
Me:
In place of the tram, add an RTD bus with bus stops like those found in Albuquerque, New Mexico's ART line.
image generator:
The street scene of the Albuquerque neighborhood has been modified to replace the tram with an RTD bus, similar to those on Albuquerque's ART line. The scene now includes bus stops with modern and accessible designs, characteristic of the ART line. The bus moves along dedicated lanes within the car-free, green-rich environment, under the solar panel canopies. This change highlights a practical and sustainable approach to public transportation, integrated into the vibrant and green urban setting. If there are any additional modifications or details you'd like to explore, feel free to let me know!
Me:
Now add the New Mexico Rail Runner crossing the street in the background.
image generator:
The Albuquerque neighborhood street scene now features the New Mexico Rail Runner, with the train crossing the street in the background on its way to Santa Fe. This addition enhances the public transportation network within the eco-friendly, car-free environment. The Rail Runner train blends into the background, complementing the lush greenery and Pueblo Revival-style buildings. Together with the RTD bus and the abundant greenery, the Rail Runner underscores the commitment to diverse and sustainable transit options in this urban landscape, all under the solar panel canopies. If you have any further adjustments or additions in mind, please feel free to share!
Me:
Make the train red and yellow, with a road runner painting on the side.
image generator:
The New Mexico Rail Runner train in the Albuquerque neighborhood scene has been modified to be red and yellow, featuring a road runner painting on its side. This colorful and distinctive train adds vibrancy to the street scene, complementing the lush green environment, solar panel canopies, and Pueblo Revival-style buildings. The red and yellow Rail Runner, with its road runner motif, enhances the diverse and sustainable transit options in this lively, community-focused atmosphere. If there are any additional changes or details you'd like to include, just let me know!
Me:
Make the train more futuristic.
image generator:
The New Mexico Rail Runner train in the Albuquerque neighborhood scene has been transformed into a more futuristic design. It retains its red and yellow color scheme and the road runner painting but now features a sleek, modern aesthetic with advanced technological features. This futuristic train design, set amidst the lush greenery, solar panel canopies, and Pueblo Revival-style buildings, represents a harmonious blend of traditional cultural elements and cutting-edge technology, adding a dynamic and forward-thinking character to the neighborhood. If there are any further modifications or additions you'd like to explore, please feel free to let me know!
Me:
What would be a human's point of view as they walked down the street here?
image generator:
The image provides a human's point of view while walking down a street in the sustainable, green version of Albuquerque, New Mexico. From this ground-level perspective, you can see the lush, tree-lined streets with mature cottonwood trees and yuccas. The Pueblo Revival-style buildings, adorned with solar panels and rooftop gardens, are part of this view, along with the car-free streets teeming with cyclists and pedestrians. This scene captures the vibrant, eco-conscious atmosphere of the neighborhood, with native plants and greenery enriching the urban landscape. It offers a glimpse into the harmonious blend of traditional culture and modern sustainability that characterizes daily life in this environmentally friendly community. If you'd like to see more details or have other perspectives in mind, feel free to let me know!
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