Software for facilitating the creation of parametric urban resource models

Abstract

This thesis describes a new software tool to facilitate Parametric Urban Resource Modeling, a method for quantitatively studying and improving the distribution of resources in a city. The software is intended to help users with no CAD or programming experience make digital Parametric Urban Resource Models of cities and optimize them algorithmically using a pre-determined set of rules. These models may help urban planners understand how to raise the population density of an area while maintaining or improving its livability, a critical challenge in our rapidly-urbanizing world. Preliminary feedback regarding this limited early prototype of the software has been promising. Parametric Urban Resource Modeling software such as this may eventually become an important early step in the urban design process, potentially saving time and improving the quality of the final city designs.