Reimagining Cities: A New City Wall of Nature
What if city walls were not barriers, but thriving ecosystems? Atelier for Byers Rum envisions a future where urban boundaries become spaces for nature, food, and community. Through design and imagination, cities can transform into regenerative landscapes.
As part of How Will We Live in 2050?, an initiative by the Danish Architecture Center, Atelier for Byers Rum has developed A New City Wall of Nature—a speculative video narrative that reimagines urban landscapes in harmony with the natural world.
This vision challenges conventional ideas of city infrastructure. Rather than rigid, lifeless walls, what if urban perimeters became vibrant, living systems? By 2050, could city boundaries be designed as biodiverse spaces that support food production, water cycles, and communal life? Could cities shift from extractive models to regenerative ecosystems?
The film is part of a broader effort to shape Denmark’s future architecture policy. Alongside three other architecture firms, Atelier for Byers Rum has contributed a visionary scenario to inspire the Expert Group for National Architecture Policy, which is currently developing recommendations for a new national framework. Architecture policy plays a crucial role in defining the built environment, influencing city planning, construction regulations, and sustainability standards. By integrating ecological principles and human-centered design, architecture can drive meaningful change toward a more resilient future.
The video presents perspectives from architects, urban planners, and artists who imagine a future where nature is woven seamlessly into the fabric of our cities. Instead of barriers that divide, these walls could become connectors—between humans and nature, past and future, vision and action.
Watch the video below and explore how rethinking urban infrastructure can inspire a new approach to city life in 2050.
