ABSTRACT
It is essential to distinguish between computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided architectural design (CAAD), in particular when discussing issues related to the domains of urban or local planning. CAD is scarcely used in the planning departments of the local planning authorities (LPAs) in the UK in the form of GIS (Ismail, 1995b). This is evident in the design and local planning process, where computerization has not taken place. Such packages do not provide the full range of 2D and 3D functions to accommodate visualization. There has been an expressed demand for the utilization of CAAD in those departments to explore visualization techniques in conjunction with the GIS. Contemporary academic research, which involves the domain of urban or local planning and CAAD, continues to over-exploit the qualitative aspects of visualization: exploring rendering techniques, animation, perception, recognition and description of existing or historical structures. This is expressed in the application of ready-made CAAD software packages, which are often explored beyond their limits.
