In the Arctic City of Norilsk, Teens Are Using AI to Reimagine Urban Landscapes

Neural networks, eco-conscious design, and teenage ambition collide in Russia's Far North.

In Norilsk, one of the northernmost cities in the world, a group of school students is turning bleak urban spaces into bold visions of green, livable futures — with the help of artificial intelligence.

The project, called NeuroEcoNorilsk, fuses hands-on community work with ecological education. After participating in the nationwide clean-up initiative “Green Spring,” local teens joined a lecture series titled Visual Ecology, where they explored how digital tools — particularly AI — can tackle environmental challenges. Sessions were held in libraries and sports centers across the city, blending urban science with machine learning.

But it wasn’t just theory. The students dove headfirst into neural network platforms that allowed them to redesign real public spaces using AI-powered visualizations. Working from photos of local areas, they created speculative images of what Norilsk could become — greener, cleaner, more human.

The competition they’re referring to is the NeuroEcoNorilsk challenge, where participants submit their AI-generated urban ecology projects. The goal? To inspire real transformation through student-led imagination.

Experts believe the approach does more than just introduce teens to emerging tech.

“These kids are learning to see potential — even in the harshest Arctic conditions,” said Gleb Shin, a lecturer from Nornickel, one of the project’s key partners. “Their ideas could actually drive real-world change.”

In a city shaped by permafrost, smokestacks, and extreme weather, the next generation is dreaming in pixels — and planting the seeds for a different kind of future.