Technology is driving building design in everything from consumer products to smart homes, but urban planning is one area that hasn't made much progress. the advent of building information modeling (BIM) has radically changed the way we think about individual buildings, but a holistic, data-driven approach to the broader scope of urban planning is still lagging behind.
Euan Mills, head of urban design and planning at Future Cities Catapult, a UK smart city hub, said: "We've seen over the last 15 or 20 years how information and communication technologies have impacted the way we live in cities."
"There are over 40 billion connected devices in the world. we're collecting more data than ever before, and with all this data and processing power, we have incredibly smart computers, but despite all this amazing new technology, the way we plan cities is still stuck in the 20th century."
city information modeling, or CIM, has the potential to change all of this.
What is city information modeling?
In 1989, Maxis released SimCity, an open-ended city-building video game that allowed players to design and develop the ultimate city from scratch. The game was a huge success, spawning numerous sequels and spinoffs, including the best-selling and more people-centric franchise, The Sims. But the appeal of SimCity games never waned. Many gamers enjoyed mapping out development zones, planning infrastructure, and transforming undeveloped land into thriving, high-tech metropolises.
Urban information modeling essentially brings the same concept to life, providing a highly sophisticated platform for architects, planners, and other professionals to collaborate on citywide projects and designs.