Multi-Agent-Based Urban Vegetation Design

Abstract

Urban vegetation is an essential element of the urban city pedestrian walkway. Despite city forest regulations and urban planning best practices, vegetation planning lacks clear comprehension and compatibility with other urban elements surrounding it. Urban planners and academic researchers currently devote vital attention to include most of the urban elements and their impact on the occupants and the environment in the planning stage of urban development. With the advancement in computational design, they have developed various algorithms to generate design alternatives and measure their impact on the environment that meets occupants’ needs and perceptions of their city. In particular, multi-agent-based simulations show great promise in developing rule compliance with urban vegetation design tools. This paper proposed an automatic urban vegetation city rule compliance approach for pedestrian pathway vegetation, leveraging multi-agent system and algorithmic modeling tools. This approach comprises three modules: rule compliance (T-Rule), street vegetation design tool (T-Design), and multi-agent alternative generation (T-Agent). Notably, the scope of the paper is limited to trees, shrubbery, and seating area configurations in the urban pathway context. To validate the developed design tool, a case study was tested, and the vegetation design tool generated the expected results successfully. A questionnaire was conducted to give feedback on the use of the developed tool for enhancing positive experience of the developed tool. It is anticipated that the proposed tool has the potential to aid urban planners in decision-making and develop more practical vegetation planting plans compared with the conventional Two-Dimensional (2D) plans, and give the city occupants the chance to take part in shaping their city by merely selecting from predefined parameters in a user interface to generate their neighborhood pathway vegetation plans. Moreover, this approach can be extended to be embedded in an interactive map where city occupants can shape their neighborhood greenery and give feedback to urban planners for decision-making.

Editorial for the Special Issue on “Experiencing the City: The Relation between Urban Design and People’s Well-Being”

“…Several studies in this special issue focus on urban parks [ 12 , 13 , 14 ], urban greenspace [ 15 ] and urban vegetation [ 16 ]. With regard to parks, van Vliet et al [ 13 ] used a non-immersive virtual landscape in a stated choice experiment and via an online survey to collect a large sample ( n = 697).…”

“…As recognized by most studies, vegetation is a valued aspect of urban parks and green spaces (e.g., [ 12 , 13 ] ). Ali et al [ 16 ] developed a pedestrian pathway vegetation tool, which incorporated algorithmic models and a multi-agent system that tested for user friendliness among 20 participants. This tool can be used to find the optimal tree position on a path by incorporating the choices of a variety of stakeholders, including citizens, in decisions about the placement of urban vegetation.…”

Parametric Design and Comfort Optimization of Dynamic Shading Structures

“…Grasshopper also allows the integration of single-objective and multiobjective optimization algorithms. Wallacei X is an evolutionary multiobjective optimization engine that allows users to run highly detailed analytic tools coupled with various comprehensive selection methods, such as the K-means as the clustering algorithm [50,51]. Wallacei X allows users to make more informed decisions at all stages of the evolutionary simulations; including the formulation of the design problem, analysis of the outputted results, and selection of the optimized solutions [52].…”

iPARK: A Participatory Design Tool of Neighborhood Parks Using Visual Programming Language

“…Elevating this discourse to new horizons, our study introduces the innovative iPARK platform, an avant-garde solution poised to reshape the landscape design narrative into a participatory and all-embracing expedition (Mahmoud & Omar, 2015;Shen & Kawakami, 2010). Harnessing the vanguard of digital technologies, iPARK harmonises automated design utilities with the dynamism of multi-agent-based simulation, transcending conventional boundaries in translating community visions into tangible design blueprints (Ali et al, 2020). This pioneering approach augments the efficacy of design communication while heralding a paradigm shift in participatory urban planning, fortified by a symbiotic alliance of design ingenuity and communal aspirations.…”

“…The primary objectives of this research endeavour are: (1) Develop and Evaluate iPARK: Create and assess the iPARK design platform's usability and effectiveness, particularly in enabling non-experts to design neighbourhood parks; (2) Explore Participatory Design: Investigate iPARK's role in enhancing participatory design in urban planning, engaging residents in park design; (3) Analyse Design Outcomes: Generate diverse park designs using iPARK and evaluate their functionality, aesthetics, and sustainability; (4) Assess Usability and Accessibility: Evaluate iPARK's user-friendliness and accessibility across various user backgrounds and suggest improvements; (5) Measure User Empowerment: Assess iPARK's ability to empower users in decision-making regarding park design; (6) Contribute to Urban Planning: Demonstrate iPARK's value in democratising urban design, promoting collaboration among community members, planners, and architects for inclusive and sustainable urban spaces.…”