Stepwise slime mould growth as a template for urban design

Abstract

AbstractThe true slime mould, Physarum polycephalum, develops as a vascular network of protoplasm, connecting node-like sources of food in an effort to solve multi-objective transport problems. The organism first establishes a dense and continuous mesh, reinforcing optimal pathways over time through constructive feedbacks of protoplasmic streaming. Resolved vascular morphologies are the result of an evolutionarily-refined mechanism of computation, which can serve as a versatile biological model for network design at the urban scale. Existing digital Physarum models typically use positive reinforcement mechanisms to capture meshing and refinement behaviours simultaneously. While these automations generate accurate descriptions of sensory and constructive feedback, they limit stepwise design control, reducing flexibility and applicability. A model that decouples the two “phases” of Physarum behaviour would enable multistage control over network growth. Here we introduce such a system, first by producing a site-responsive mesh from a population of nutrient-attracted agents, and then by independently calculating from it a flexible, proximity-defined shortest-walk to produce a final network. We develop and map networks within existing urban environments that perform similarly to those biologically grown, establishing a versatile tool for bio-inspired urban network design.