Lightweight Semiautomatic City Engine Systems: A Specific Case of Urban Induction Theory

Abstract

Generative urban design is an emerging field which seeks to apply a procedural algorithm to grow urban forms parametrically. These tools are mainly used for cityscapes in the entertainment industry. Currently, there is active research to repurpose them as semantically meaningful tools for urban design. This paper reviews the two primary approaches to generative urban design: CityEngine and Urban Induction(UI).AfterconsiderationUIwaschosenasthepreferredapproach.Thispaper is a commentary on and assumes a background knowledge of UI. A novel synthesis of UI and Form-Based Codes is proposed as a lightweight method of generation. This method is then tested on a 3,040 acre site in San Francisco. Results indicate while the method works conceptually in simple cases it should be expanded into a comprehensive toolset before it can be considered an open-source replacement for CityEngine.