ABSTRACT

Compact city policies implemented through mixed-use higher density urban redevelopment are reshaping cities worldwide. There is, however, a lack of analytical tools and integrating information on the existing built form, land markets and planning controls that could provide an assessment of how much redevelopment an area can support in the future. There is also a paucity of tools to inform planners and policy-makers how economically feasible potential land development is, and if it would meet the projected demand for housing. Without this, municipalities remain reactive rather than strategic to pressures from redevelopment, which continue to push the boundaries to higher densities without a clear picture of what the ramifications might be to the broader amenity and liveability of the city. This study describes an agent-based model to fulfil this task. It innovates from previous modelling initiatives because it employs actual geographical data, operates at a land parcel level, provides three-dimensional dynamic visualisation capability, and allows the assessment of what if? scenarios. The testing of the model on a real case study demonstrated the strength of the model in handling geographic data easily. In this research the model is also tested in the context of providing insights into the combined effects of the land market and planning framework on the urban redevelopment process, and its ability to be linked to urban design processes to assess their actual delivery potential based on economic feasibility. Current advances in high-performance computing and the increasing availability of urban big data raise optimistic horizons for further development of realistic agent-based models to assist better understanding, planning and management of urban property development in cities