Connecting nature and technology: using artificial intelligence to plan greener cities

The field of spatial planning uses digital technologies as support for planning and decision-making activities. Recently, artificial intelligence technologies started to be used also in green infrastructure planning to allow better decisions and to find solutions to mitigate climate changes especially in urban areas. Optimization algorithms are used to plan green infrastructure at all scales, from the level of a tree to residential and other urban green and natural spaces. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to outline the necessity of implementing AI technology in urban areas to improve the life of inhabitants and to increase the sustainability of the city. Besides optimization algorithms as AI tools, the study presents a large range of tools that can be used in the management of urban green infrastructure. In the urban context, these new technologies that can be connected to the nature of the city in the form of a digital network containing collected information from different sources. The conclusion is that the digital progress must include the nature of the city. The research comes in the context of the opportunity to plan green belts around Romanian cities and finding their optimal locations using the new digital technologies.