Image of the Forest
“(...) all intelligence is an abstraction of the present context. Therefore producing an abstraction is the essence of intelligence. But that abstraction is only a snapshot of the organism; it is not the organism itself. All models are wrong, because we build them to perform actions that are not feasible using the original.”
~The Oxford Handbook of Ethics of AI
While studies published in top-tier journals investigate the significant relationships between exposure to nature and its effects on human health, including affective symptoms and cognitive abilities, still little of those findings are incorporated into the design of the urban spaces. Contemporary cityscape is to large extent industrialized and dominated by the design emphasizing function over aesthetics. Cities are optimized only for factors that can be quantitatively measured.
Even with increasing emphasis on the use of digital tools in the simulation and urban design process, aspects of beauty are still often marginalized as there is no body of scientific evidence available to support the arguments of value of architectural design beyond functionality.
With the Image of The Forest we invite the public to explore the visual qualities of the cityscape. Using transdisciplinary research we attempt to create scientific evidence and raise awareness of the value of the aesthetics of the built environment and their consequences for physiological, psychological, and mental well-being “calling on all of us to imagine and build together a sustainable and inclusive future that is beautiful for our eyes, minds, and souls.”