GIS Based Procedural Modeling in 3D Urban Design

Abstract

Traditional urban design is time-consuming and laborious. We propose a computer-generated architecture (CGA)-based workflow in this work, with the goal of allowing designers to take advantage of a high level of automation. This workflow is based on procedural modeling. A three-step CGA rule was applied to implement 3D urban procedural modeling, (1) parcel subdivision and clustering, (2) building extrusion, and (3) texture mapping. Parcel subdivision and clustering is the key step of layout modeling, giving the modeler flexibility to adjust the placement and size of the inner building lots. Subsequently, a land-use-based combination of eight common building types and layouts was used to generate various urban forms for different urban functional zones. Finally, individual buildings were decorated by creating texture maps of a planar section of the building facade or, alternatively, decomposing facades into sets of repeating elements and texture maps. We employed the proposed workflow in the H-village urban redevelopment program and an air–rail integration zone development program in Guangzhou. Three design proposals were generated for each project. The results demonstrated that this workflow could generate multiple layout proposals and alternative facade textures quickly and, therefore, address most of the collaborative issues with its analysis functions, including a flexible adjustment mechanism and real-time visualization.