I have to say that after reading this article in Wired Magazine online, I really would love to see the model cities they mention in person. The article starts with the story of how 50 year old software engineer Michael Chesko created a huge model of Manhattan in 2000 hours with nothing more than a X-Acto knife, a nail file, and a Dremel. The model now resides in the skyscraper museum in New York City (which I actually visited during the summer). However, the model that takes the cake in the article is the absolutely enormous projected model of Shanghai in the year 2020. The photos alone make Shanghai look like the size of 5 Manhattans.
Yet, for all the great photos and awe that these models inspire, many of them have a purpose. The article details how the US Army Corps of Engineers created a model of the Bay Area to help determine the impact of such natural disasters as earthquakes. As well, model cities provide a door into the future and allow individuals to see a vision of the aesthetic future of the city the model represents. The Shanghai one mentioned above is a perfect example of this. Even still, at the very least, model cities are an amazing and brilliant representation of our urban environment.
