Parametric tools for conceptual design support at the pedestrian urban scale towards inverse urban design

Abstract

This paper presents an inverse pedestrian urban design method and an initial set of parametric tools for conceptual design support at the pedestrian urban scale. Inverse pedestrian urban design concerns the derivation of urban design parameters from a local context in order to produce better informed and situated designs. The tools concern the rationalization of street network and building form. Some of the parameters that are used within the tools are view angles (visibility analysis) and distances between target points (accessibility analysis). The paper elaborates on inverse urban design, presents some case studies and tools, and touches upon design patterns and their alignment to design processes.