Abstract

GIS for Urban Design Analysis and Testing
Track: State and Local Government
Authors: Mike Aziz

Architects at CRP integrate GIS into a broad range of urban design and planning projects. We use base mapping, terrain modeling, and other 3D Analyst tools to study our sites in ways that CAD and BIM cannot, as in our Master Plan for Research Triangle Park, where the scale and depth of data required GIS to uncover patterns in the Park's physical and corporate geography. CRP also uses spatial analyst tools to test design proposals on large urban design projects, including New York City's current assessment of the installation of video screens on bus shelters and newsstands. We employed GIS to quickly and accurately depict the interrelationship of neighborhood character and zoning regulations. By demonstrating our innovative use of GIS, we will show the audience how to quickly produce urban design analysis, and how to test their design thinking at a scale and efficiency made possible only by using GIS.