Imagine a city designed not by committees and consultants, but by artificial intelligence. That's the tantalizing prospect offered by a new research framework called Cyclical Urban Planning (CUP), which uses large language models (LLMs) to continuously generate, evaluate, and refine urban plans. This isn't just about optimizing traffic flow or building placement. CUP simulates the lives of virtual residents, capturing their daily routines, social interactions, and even their feelings about the urban environment. It's like The Sims, but for urban planning. These AI residents 'live' in the proposed city design, providing feedback that helps the system refine the plan iteratively. Researchers tested the framework on a real-world community in Beijing, discovering that their AI-powered approach outperformed traditional planning methods in improving resident satisfaction. The system balances competing interests and adapts to changing needs in a way traditional planning struggles to achieve. But designing a city isn't just about maximizing happiness scores. There are complex trade-offs between quantitative factors like accessibility and the more nuanced aspects of quality of life. The research suggests that while AI can significantly improve urban planning, finding the perfect balance between data-driven optimization and human-centered design remains a challenge. The future of urban planning might involve AI, but it will undoubtedly require human oversight and input to ensure our cities remain vibrant, livable spaces.