Vector illustration. The biophilic city of the future.

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Illustration is not only a part of my job, but also a hobby that allows me to create a visual representation of any idea, even a fantasy one.

I drew this illustration after contemplating what our world could look like in an alternative reality, if humanity followed a different developmental path. For instance, if technological progress had been aimed at the creation of alternative sources of energy, if concern for the environment had been in the forefront, if various kinds of wildlife in megacities had been organically integrated into the urban environment as an integral part of it, and if high-tech infrastructure had complemented and beautified the ecosystems instead of harming them.

Unfortunately, there are few biophilic cities in the world today, but there are some. My favourite example is Singapore, which has developed eco-technologies at an enormous pace.

I would like to believe that someday my dreams will come true, and biophilic cities will be completely natural rather than rare unique projects.

A green environment increases creativity, has a positive effect on academic performance, improves children with autism and even increases empathy - people become more generous. A large 2019 Danish study proved that children who saw more green around them had 55% fewer mental health problems later in life.

More than 65% of the world's population is projected to live in cities by 2050. To minimise the negative impact of the urban environment, we need to move away from technocratic models and create cities where people can maintain contact with nature.