This research explores the use of artificial intelligence to simulate how cities will grow
vertically. By learning how cities have evolved in the recent past, genetic algorithms can
successfully simulate vertical urban growth. The research was applied to buildings 130 meters
and taller in the Minato Ward of Tokyo in 2015. An evolutionary computer model was built
from a standard genetic algorithm, using historical and economic data, which then simulated
future growth for the 2016 to 2019 period. The results obtained matched the area of study’s
real vertical growth for the study period, with a 85.7% accuracy for the number of buildings,
73.7% for their average heights, and 96.3% for the likelihood of new construction projects
happening within a mapped area. By learning how a city evolved in the past, the model
replicated the future vertical growth of a city center.