City Induction Evaluation Module
Jorge Gil Faculty of Architecture, TU Lisbon Jose Pinto Duarte Faculty of Architecture, TU Lisbon
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
This research is part of the “City Induction” research project (PTDC/AUR/64384/2006) supported by the FCT and hosted by ICIST.
The “City Induction” research project aims to develop an urban design framework at the scale of site planning consisting of three modules: formulation, generation and evaluation. The evaluation module will be driven by sustainable urban development principles, which determine the design analysis criteria and benchmarks, and it will be structured around selected urban spatial analysis, of which space syntax is a reference (Hillier and Hanson 1984).
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 2
1. Introduction
Sustainable urban development and evaluation
2. Design and Analysis
Evidence based design
3. Integration
Strategic and performative urban design
4. Evaluation
Analysis ≠ Evaluation
5. Visualisation
Tools for thinking
6. Conclusions
Discussion
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 3
1. Introduction
Sustainable urban development approach
Establish a dialogue among the stakeholders, trying to keep the process as transparent as possible, and with mechanisms to ensure that a strategic development vision is defined, an adequate urban programme is laid out, and a matching outcome is then reached that can be both quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated.
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
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1. Introduction
Urban sustainability:
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Environmental Social Economic
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“Urban form and land use Urban form and land use have an important influence over all the other factors. Appropriate mixed-use development can help ensure sustainable movement, accessibility, the effectiveness of recycling schemes, energy performance and adaptability to climate change.”
Sustainable development – UK Eco-towns
(c) Town and Country Planning Agency (TCPA)
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
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1. Introduction
Urban design evaluation: The urban designer, the one manipulating urban form, needs tools to ensure his solutions fall within the goal posts set by the existing mechanisms, like qualitative surveys, workshops and design guidelines, that capture requirements and set benchmarks.
European Urban Index
(c) Mediastadt
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 6
2. Design and Analysis
Evidence based design: A group of experts gathers the evidence base, sometimes complex, against which option testing is performed.
Evaluation framework aim: To bring analytical data directly into the design process to guarantee solutions within the sustainability requirements and ultimately reach the development vision.
Solar analysis – Autodesk Ecotect
(c) Autodesk
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 7
2. Design and Analysis
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Design programme –
requirements, values, urban patterns, subjects
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Design solutions –
form, space, relations, objects
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Data and design analysis –
properties, profiles, impacts, phenomena
The urban design system components and interactions
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 8
2. Design and Analysis
Analytical parameters derived from:
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Public space configuration Urban structure
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Analytical parameters relating to:
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Environment Socio-economic factors Mobility
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(c) English Partnerships
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008 City Induction Evaluation Module 9
3. Integration
There is a natural tension between the design and the analytic domains and practice.
Evaluation framework aim: To integrate selected analysis methodologies with simplified models into design tools that are suitable for working with urban design methodologies.
CityCAD - http://www.holisticcity.co.uk/
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 10
3. Integration
Performative urban design: Which analytical techniques are more meaningful to the designer? What level of expertise is required to understand and manipulate the data? Which analytical techniques must stay in the hands of experts?
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To what level can they afford to be simplified to fit the demands of the design process?
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CityZoom - http://www.cityzoom.net/
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 11
3. Integration
Challenges identified so far: Common ontology between analysis and design Analytical models ≠ Design Models CAD Tools ≠ Urban Design tools Analysis Tools ≠ Urban Design tools
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Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 12
Need for a common ontology between analysis and design 3. Integration
Urban Street Block Plot Profile Site
CAD Surface Solid Block Hatch Line
GIS Point Line Polygon Grid
Simulation Mesh Thermal Zone Axial line Convex space
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 13
Analytical models ≠ Design models 3. Integration
Analytical model Simple geometry Abstract representation Domain specific elements Very specific formats Interrelated information Generated by complex processes (less flexible to change without having to start all over again)
Design model Complex with detailed geometry Rich descriptive representation conventions Generic and geometric elements Generic data formats Non-topological elements Flexible to changes by the designer
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 14
CAD Tools ≠ Urban Design tools 3. Integration
CAD tool Detailed buildings Small area Representation of terrain Representation of built matter
Urban design tool Complex with detailed geometry Vast area with many buildings Manipulation of infrastructure and terrain Representation of space
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 15
Analysis Tools ≠ Urban Design tools 3. Integration
Analytical tool Quantitative output Display and management of large data sets Graphic and visual output limited in comparison to their quantitative output Expert knowledge to run Require statistical analysis and information visualisation skills to derive useful information from their output
Urban design tool Qualitative output
Rich descriptive representation conventions Design and legislation knowledge Flexible to changes by the designer
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 16
4. Evaluation
Analysis ≠ Evaluation
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Analytic results are simply numbers
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The same analytical results can have positive or negative value depending on their context They acquire a value when placed within the whole evaluation framework against a solution and a program.
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Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 17
4. Evaluation
Urban design analysis results can be quite complex with large amounts of data that is difficult to interpret and translate into design decisions. Evaluation results should provide summary diagrams of the specific analytic parameters that originally take the form of charts, tables and maps.
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 18
4. Evaluation
Evaluation diagrams by Alvar Aalto of Baker House – Senior Dormitory for MIT
(c) Alvar Aalto Foundation, Helsinki
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
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4. Evaluation
Evaluation diagrams by Alvar Aalto of Baker House – Senior Dormitory for MIT
(c) Alvar Aalto Foundation, Helsinki
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 20
4. Evaluation
Evaluation framework aim: Provide an interpretation of the analytical results; test them against regulations, development targets, and quality and sustainability benchmarks; provide both quantitative and qualitative output.
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 21
5. Visualisation
Tools for thinking: Reach an understanding of the problem through interaction with meaningful and operational abstractions.
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 22
5. Visualisation
Evaluation process: The designer plays a central role in the process, responding to the programme requirements through intellectual understanding of the subject matter and direct manipulation of the object.
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
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5. Visualisation
Evaluation framework aim: A design support system equipped with a graphical user interface to provide dynamic visualisations of complex urban phenomena and feedback on the fitness of the design solutions.
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 24
6. Conclusions
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Urban development process is getting more complex in search for sustainability involving more stakeholders, guidelines and regulations Evidence based design brings analysis into the urban design process Tools to address the challenges of integrating the two domains Evaluation as translation of complex data into summary diagrams and indices Selection of appropriate visualisation and interaction models
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This is the nature of the challenge: The development of an urban design evaluation framework that integrates the technicalities of spatial urban analysis, the complexities of urban simulation, and the specificities of urban design to provide the designer with the creative means to explore quality urban design solutions.
Workshop “New Methods in Urban Simulation” ETH Zurich, 22 November 2008
City Induction Evaluation Module 25