In Biopolis, we have explored new visions of city living through the lenses of biological research. We invited a selection of prominent writers living in Scotland to engage in conversations with cutting-edge researchers based at the University of Edinburgh in order to create speculative stories about the impact of biotechnology on urban life. The resulting tales of brain simulation, mobile and malleable buildings, bio-recycling, biodesigned species, altered bodies and microbial communication simultaneously speak to our very human longings for connection, for recognition, for freedom; ultimately, they articulate our perennial aspiration to find better ways of living. Mostly set in Scotland, these are deeply human and universal accounts of bio-based futures that illuminate the relevance of research in synthetic biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, computational biology, and biomedicine to our collective goals.