GIS-based Procedural Modeling in Contemporary Urban Planning Practice

The cities keep developing rapidly all over the world. Urban-related disciplines are striving to enhance new theoretical concepts to keep up with these changes. Various researchers commonly claim that the outcomes that are generated with the traditional planning techniques fall short in providing the livability of urban space and the design quality. Unstable structure of the planning regulations causes frequent changes in the tools and rules applied in spatial planning. These changes make it harder to investigate the indirect consequences in the spatial changes that would take place in the cities on the long term. On the other hand, the new information-based techniques are increasingly offering remarkable tools for spatial planning practices. Especially novel techniques in semantic 3D modelling field are offering workflows for aiding the design phase. Procedural modelling steps forward, as quite remarkable outcomes can be produced by means of the operations that identify the small data entries with procedural codes. In this study, the codes and tools identified in the current urban planning legislation in Turkey are converted into procedural modelling parameters. Then, the current implementation plan of the selected field is transformed into an interactive framework. Plan is interpreted in two different design alternatives within this parametric system. After these alternative designs are modelled in compliance with the criteria specified in the plan and regulations, the quantitative evaluation of these models is conducted. Consequently, the response capacity of produced three-dimensional GIS based procedural modelling system on urbanization and planning policies is investigated. Additionally, opinions on the utilization of this system within the framework of sustainable planning practices are expressed.