See the City Beneath the City
City Explorer’s evolution lab offers deeper ways to explore the history and design of cities. Preview urban planning, historical timelines, architecture, environmental choices, neighborhood change and alternative city futures.
Six ways to read a city
- Follow a neighborhood across five centuries.
- Build a block by changing density, green space and industry.
- Read the skyline through its architecture.
- Explore how rivers and infrastructure affect neighborhoods.
- Consider the everyday effects of city planning.
- Imagine a different future for the city.
Try the city planning simulation
Adjust a sample city block and compare how planning choices affect green space, density and the feel of a neighborhood.
Explore free
Start with the free City Explorer to see how cities grow through history.
Open the free city evolution simulation