From crowd simulation software to geographic information systems, the amount of technology that goes into the design of city spaces is huge. Read on as we explore the tools that designers use in the planning process of building a city.
What management software is used?
Crowd and pedestrian management software is one of the technologies that is used as part of urban planning. It is capable of simulating thousands of people so that they can be imported into digital models of city spaces. The simulated agents can act intelligently according to set guidelines.
The software can be manipulated to meet a range of purposes. For architects designing a new building or arena that has the potential to host thousands of people, this technology can be used to simulate an evacuation. The crowd can be monitored to see what collisions they come across and how well they can achieve the goal of escaping the building.
It can also give urban planners the ability to plan for certain events such as an emergency situation. With the rise of terror incidents across Europe, the use of crowd simulation and preparing for unlikely situations is more important than ever.
How are geographic information systems used?
A geographic information system, often shortened to GIS, is able to manage data from various sources and bring them together to suit the needs of urban planners.
Multilayer mapping is one form of a geographic information system. Similar to a density map, this feature allows the user to see a range of measures on one area. For example, potential agricultural land, areas which are prone to flooding and erodible land can all be visible on one map. This allows urban planners to visualise areas that would not be suitable for building on.
This type of software is also able to collate information on previous building permits in an area. The success of potential businesses can be analysed too by measuring their proximity to potential competitors and customers.
What does building information modelling (BIM) do?
Building information modelling is able to predict the potential impacts of buildings on an area before they are built. This technology is becoming more important in the design of ‘smart cities’, to test out the impact of the building before construction goes ahead.
It’s useful for architects who are operating in an already built-up area. BIM can inform system managers of a wide range of factors. For example, the software could show how deep to dig in order to not crash into a fibre optic cable.
This type of software can be used on joint projects too. For example, workers on drainage construction and landscaping can consult the same model to help better inform their decisions.
When discussing the Crossrail project that he was a part of, Tony Andrews, Solutions Executive of Asset Management at Bentley systems said: “Some of the drilling that we did for this project was within centimeters of the existing underground tunnels in London. It was absolutely incredible”.
Looking ahead
There are many other technologies and software that are under development to be used in the building of urban cities. One of these, not used for urban planning yet, is an open-source software that has been developed in New York. It is currently a system that creates a map using data to visualise how people move through cities. Heat spots on the map become more intense when areas are popular.
In the future, this technology will be able to identify how a city operates. This data is collected from Flickr and Twitter uploads, and this is planned to expand to other social networks.
This potential software could be very useful for urban planners. It will allow them to see which city spaces are busy at which times, down to the minute. It will also be possible to make comparisons between cities and replicate planning of structures if it has been successful in a city that runs in the same way.