International Journal of

Geo-Information

Article
Three-Dimensional Rule-Based City Modelling to
Support Urban Redevelopment Process
Tyler Agius 1 , Soheil Sabri 2, * and Mohsen Kalantari 2, *
1 Department of Infrastructure Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia;
[email protected]
2 Centre for Spatial Data Infrastructures and Land Administration, Department of Infrastructure Engineering,
The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
* Correspondence: [email protected] (S.S.); [email protected] (M.K.);
Tel.: +61-383-446-771 (S.S.); +61-383-440-274 (M.K.)




Received: 29 August 2018; Accepted: 12 October 2018; Published: 18 October 2018


Abstract: Multi-dimensional representation of urban settings has received a great deal of attention
among urban planners, policy makers, and urban scholars. This is due to the fact that cities grow
vertically and new urbanism strategies encourage higher density and compact city development.
Advancements in computer technology and multi-dimensional geospatial data integration, analysis
and visualisation play a pivotal role in supporting urban planning and design. However, due to the
complexity of the models and technical requirements of the multi-dimensional city models, planners
are yet to fully exploit such technologies in their activities. This paper proposes a workflow to
support non-experts in using three-dimensional city modelling tools to carry out planning control
amendments and assess their implications. The paper focuses on using a parametric three-dimensional
(3D) city model to enable planners to measure the physical (e.g., building height, shadow, setback)
and functional (e.g., mix of land uses) impacts of new planning controls. The workflow is then
implemented in an inner suburb of Metropolitan Melbourne, where urban intensification strategies
require the planners to carry out radical changes in regulations. This study demonstrates the power of
the proposed 3D visualisation tool for urban planners at taking two-dimensional (2D) Geographic
Information System (GIS) procedural modelling to construct a 3D model.

Keywords: 3D city model; GIS procedural modelling; statutory planning; strategic planning

1. Introduction
Urban intensification and compact city development strategies are generally implemented in
metropolitan areas worldwide as a response to rapid population growth [1]. Urban planners and policy
makers encourage higher building and population densities through urban redevelopment as part
of the compact city process. In order to better understand the implications of urban redevelopment,
planners need robust tools to predict and measure the impact of planning scenarios. However, despite
advancements in computer and geospatial technologies, they are limited to classic data and modelling
tools for designing, impact assessment and decision making [2].
Historically, it has been difficult for urban planners to imagine the application of planning schemes
and the controls in designated urban redevelopment areas. Further to this, statutory planners are
spending a considerable amount of time determining whether development proposals in complex urban
areas meet the minimum requirements according to design regulations. Consequently, it is important
that planners have the right toolset to both plan future changes and assess existing conditions.

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, 413; doi:10.3390/ijgi7100413 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijgi

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, 413 2 of 12

In Australia, where compact city development has become the main planning strategy [2], urban
planners rely on two-dimensional (2D) land information to envision a proposed building or assess
the impact of changing development regulations. Recent advancements in three-dimensional (3D)
geospatial technologies are promising to improve the decision making through evaluation of the
potential impact of development proposals, visualising urban design outcomes and allowing users to
interpret them from multiple viewpoints. 3D visualisations can improve the mental image of planning
controls for planners and stakeholders. For instance, these technologies enable people to assess the
effect of buildings on the surroundings (such as view lines) and provide a mechanism for assessment
of proposed developments submitted in 3D. Multi-dimensional GIS visualisations also carry analytical
components and as such will allow communities to have more effective conversations regarding future
developments [3,4].
3D analytics and visualisation were explored by scholars in different urban planning and urban
design studies such as walkability analysis [5], building shadow detection and impacts [6,7], and
planning for flood prone areas [8]. Kytta et al. (2013) [3] evaluated the role of 3D visualisation in public
participation for a sensitive inner city urban redevelopment process in the Helsinki metropolitan
area. Their study identified the benefits of 3D visualisation on communicating with stakeholders
and assisting with dispute resolution. Sabri et al. (2016) [9] proposed the use of 3D analytics and
visualisation in a virtual geographic environment (VGE) for combining the measurement of physical
(e.g., building material, colour, façade) and social construction (e.g., diverse range of household types)
of urban areas. Other studies have highlighted the benefit of 3D models enabling the decision makers
to identify issues related to zoning and other planning regulations [10].
While it was identified that 3D models have been helpful in carrying on planning tasks, planners
were reluctant to use 3D tools because of the complexity with regard to data integration and the ability
to easily model an environment [11]. One of the major limitations in developing 3D models is that they
require special skills. It is also important to consider the broad planning task requirements providing
planners with appropriate tools to assist them in decision-making. This study aims to develop
a geodatabase structure and process for urban planners to use 2D GIS information to model and
visualise the built form 3D envelope. The 3D model will be based on the applicable planning controls,
focusing particularly on procedural modelling tools and Computer Graphic Architecture (CGA)
shape grammar language. The study uses an urban planning scheme in Victoria, Australia, where
implementing compact city strategies requires planners to conduct radical changes in development
controls. The study focuses on improving workflow for tools that have already being used by planners
to assess small scale development outcomes.
In the next section, this paper continues with a review of the state-of-the-art in the use of 3D city
models in urban planning. In Section 3 the paper presents the methodology in which a workflow
is proposed. The same section explains in detail the methods of data integration, and the GIS layer
preparation for planning control rules. Section 4 presents the results in two urban corridors of an
inner suburb of Metropolitan Melbourne. The implications of these results and major findings are
discussed in Section 5 and finally the concluding remarks with an identification of limitations and
potential future work are presented in Section 6.

2. 3D City Models in Urban Planning

Over the last three or two decades, as a result of urbanisation, urban entities including buildings
and infrastructures become more complex. This complexity has led to the adoption of more robust
technologies such as the use of 3D graphics to envisage the current and future impacts of urban
developments. Furthermore, through the advancement of 3D geospatial data and technologies, more
capabilities were provided to urban planners. This section presents a number of examples of the use of
3D city models in the process of urban planning. Then, the challenges and issues related to the use of
the 3D city models for non-technical users will be elaborated. The section will finally identify the gap
which exists in addressing the challenges of using 3D city models in the urban planning process.
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, 413 3 of 12

In the urban planning process, 3D city models have been used in three major aspects:
(a) public participation and citizen engagement in planning activities; (b) strategic urban planning;
and (c) statutory planning [12,13]. In planning literature, citizen participation in urban development
and redevelopment projects is considered as one of the key success factors [14]. Over the last decade,
the proliferation of digital technology has facilitated public participation through digital platforms and
web technologies, which enable citizens to understand the impact of planning and decision making on
their built environment [15]. Web-based 3D visualisation and impact assessment tools are particularly
important for urban densification and redevelopment processes [16,17]. In many cases, increasing
urban density and infill development strategies have been objected by local residents. Kytta et al.
(2013) [3], indicated that using a web-based 3D GIS platform is useful to understand the residents’
perception on planning implications in a sensitive urban redevelopment process. Public participation
is particularly important in strategic planning tasks. Furthermore, Métral et al. (2007) [18] proposed
a semantic enrichment and integration of different urban data sources (e.g., master plan, local plan,
and other spatial data) using ontology and visualise in a 3D platform, which is adaptable to users’
viewpoints. As an example, the visualisation of a “Noise Pollution” theme can be different for an
urban researcher, residents, or a politician.
Strategic urban planning refers to a holistic view of the future model of cities. Strategic urban
planners identify the current shortcomings and future requirements of cities and provide policies and
tools to achieve the desirable socio-economic and spatial structure in the city [19]. Using information
technology and 3D geospatial data and visualisation potentially enables a data-driven and
evidence-based strategic planning [12]. 3D city models developed in commonly-used applications
such as Google Earth enabled for interactive building development scenario evaluation with public
engagement in a planning process [20].
Another application of 3D city models in strategic planning is temporal detection of urban form
changes [21], which can be attributed to the population changes as well [22]. Multi-dimensional urban
modellings and analytics are instrumental in developing strategies for compact city and vertical urban
development assessment [9,23]. Trubka and Gleckin (2016) [24] used different housing typologies in a
library developed for a web-based 3D scenario building and visualisation platform to generate infill
residential development report in the precinct level.
From the environmental planning perspective, 3D models have been used for measuring urban
heat islands [25], urban and building energy modelling [26], and thermal comfort analysis [27].
For instance, Pullar et al. (2001) [28] developed a Visual impact assessment (VIA) tool using 3D
models, which can be used for design of urban landscape. Furthermore, Nichol et al. (2005) [29]
used 3D Virtual Reality models to assess the quality of city environment for planning purposes.
In addition, a number of open-source and free 3D design and visualisation tools are developed for
urban environment planning, modelling and simulations [30,31]. In the continuum of urban planning
process, the outcomes of strategic urban planning can be used to develop tools and regulations for
statutory urban planning.
Statutory planners have two major tasks: (a) amending the planning controls based on new urban
strategies; and (b) conducting new development appraisals on the basis of strategies, regulations, and
the city characters (e.g., building heights, vegetation, façade, and other city amenities). The role of
3D city models in statutory planning activities such as shadow effect, sky view factor and set back
analyses are investigated in the literature [7,32]. Brasebin et al. (2018) [32] developed an algorithm in
SimPLU3D (https://simplu3d.github.io/) to support both building designers and statutory planners
in evaluating the compatibility of buildings with regulations such as setback, building height to road
width ratio, and building footprint ratio. The focus of SimPLU3D is to optimise the city configurations
based on planning rules. This tool is proposed as an improvement for more complex planning rules
and further measurements of urban land uses. In another study, Brasebin et al. (2016) [33] used
Object Constraints Language (OCL) to gain understanding as to whether the new proposed building
configuration follows the planning control rules.
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, 413 4 of 12

Planning scheme amendments require parametric and procedural modelling capabilities [34].
Vanegas et al. (2012) [35] proposed a game-based approach in procedural modelling for those who
have no knowledge of regulations. This approach benefits both planners and residents, who would
like to envision different scenarios. While some studies considered enabling non-experts in developing
and visualising urban models [36–38], one of the major issues is the complexity of tools and technical
skill requirements in developing such models. To date, there have been limited studies on how to
support non-technical users in planning control amendment tasks and evaluating their implications.
Residents are heavily involved in both the strategic and statutory planning tasks. For instance, in
Australia, in Victoria state’s planning scheme it is mandatory to develop strategies, and make planning
amendments through the community participation in a certain timeframe [39]. As such, the role of 3D
visualisation and interactive scenario evaluation based on planning rules is very crucial. While the
current developments and studies have indicated the usefulness and easy-to-use capabilities of 3D city
design aspects, most of them remained in the conceptual level and less real-world applications are
reported in the literature. Moreover, despite the fact that literature has indicated the importance of
parametric and rule-based 3D city models in the urban planning process [10,32], these methods are yet
to be implemented in the Australian context. The next section proposes a workflow for a planning
control amendment in the Victoria Planning Scheme.

3. Materials and Methods

In the Victoria Planning Scheme, the controls that influence the built form are:

• Street, side and rear setbacks

• Building height
• Site Coverage
• Daylight to existing windows and north facing windows
• Overshadowing open space
• Overlooking

This study focuses on the three key controls of the street, side and rear setbacks, and
building height.
The developed workflow is split into two parts to provide the mechanism for the amendment of
the controls without the need to complete the entire process. Figure 1 presents the two part workflow;
the first part is data preparation steps, which will only need to be conducted if there is an update of
the cadastral layer by the custodian. The second part of the workflow includes only the actions that
need to be used to change the polygon extents, controls and the plan zone. In addition, the CGA rule
file includes the provision for parameters to be changed and this can be done within the user interface.
The Geodatabase structure is outlined in Figure 2. Further to this, the ‘Parcel_Layer’ used in ESRI
CityEngine (https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/esri-cityengine/overview) is shown in
Figure 3 with its field structure broken down. The following subsections present in detail the process
undertaken to develop the 3D model.
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, 413 5 of 12
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ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, x FOR PEER REVIEW 5 of 12

Figure1.1.The
Figure The workflow
workflow to produce
produce 3D
3Dmodels
modelsfrom
from2D
2Dplans.
plans.
Figure 1. The workflow to produce 3D models from 2D plans.

Figure2.2.Proposed
Proposed spatial database
database (geodatabase
(geodatabaseininthis
thiscase)
case)structure.
Figure 2. Proposedspatial
Figure spatial database (geodatabase in this case) structure.
structure.

Figure 3. Proposed Parcel_Layer structure.

Figure 3.
Figure 3. Proposed
Proposed Parcel_Layer
Parcel_Layerstructure.
structure.
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, x FOR PEER REVIEW 6 of 12

3.1. GIS Layer Preparation

To undertake procedural
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, 413 modelling, a study area of over 300 ha in the Moreland City 6 of 12Council,

an inner suburb in Metropolitan Melbourne, was selected. The Moreland Planning Scheme Design
Development Overlays
3.1. GIS were reviewed and building controls were found, digitised in GIS, attributed
Layer Preparation
with values, and included
To undertake in the geodatabase
procedural modelling, a under ‘localScheme’
study area of over 300 ha(see Figure
in the 2). The
Moreland Citystructure
Council, of the
geodatabase wassuburb
an inner testedinand the appropriate
Metropolitan Melbourne, feature class according
was selected. The Moreland to CGA ruleScheme
Planning files was
Designdesigned.
To construct the 3D model,
Development Overlaysthe wereVicmap
reviewed planning dataset
and building (https://www.data.vic.gov.au/data/dataset/
controls were found, digitised in GIS, attributed
with values, and included in the geodatabase
vicmap-planning) was retrieved from open data repository of under ‘localScheme’ (seethe
Figure 2). The
State of structure
Victoria. of the
This data
geodatabase was tested and the appropriate feature class according to CGA rule files was designed.
contained the land use zone and overlay controls for all Victorian planning schemes. The land use
To construct the 3D model, the Vicmap planning dataset (https://www.data.vic.gov.au/data/dataset/
zoning was merged with
vicmap-planning) wasthe studyfrom
retrieved area’s
open planning scheme
data repository of the(see
StateFigure 4) and
of Victoria. This also attributed with
data contained
the control
thevalues.
land use zone and overlay controls for all Victorian planning schemes. The land use zoning was
It was found
merged with that
the multiple
study area’s types of land
planning schemeuses
(see(and
Figuretherefore
4) and alsocontrols)
attributed may cover
with the parcels
control values.and this
It was found that multiple types of land uses (and therefore controls)
had to be accounted for when transferring the controls to the parcel layer. Therefore, the centroid may cover parcels and this of
had to be accounted for when transferring the controls to the parcel layer. Therefore, the centroid of the
the parcel was used as the location for the spatial join to attribute the parcel layer with the relevant
parcel was used as the location for the spatial join to attribute the parcel layer with the relevant controls.
controls. The
Theplanning
planning zonemay
zone layer layer maywith
not align notparcel
align with parcel
boundaries due to boundaries due to differences
differences in transformations or in
transformations
an updateor ancadastral
in the updatelayer in the cadastral
that has layer
not yet been that through
reflected has not yet been to
a modification reflected through a
the planning
modification to the planning zone layer.
zone layer.

Figure 4. Merging ‘Plan_Zone’ with ‘LocalScheme’ from Figure 1 to create ‘SchemeControls’.

Figure 4. Merging ‘Plan_Zone’ with ‘LocalScheme’ from Figure 1 to create ‘SchemeControls’.
3.2. Rule File Preparation
3.2. Rule File Preparation
The newly created parcels with a planning control layer in the geodatabase were imported into
The ESRI
newly CityEngine (https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/esri-cityengine/overview) and the
created parcels with a planning control layer in the geodatabase were imported into
CGA rule file was planned and scripted. Figure 5 shows an excerpt of CGA rule script. The CGA rule
ESRI CityEngine (https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/esri-cityengine/overview) and the
file was broken down into individual functions to be able to interpret the attributes of each polygon
CGA ruleand fileextrude
was planned
as per the and scripted.
building height. Figure 5 shows
Further to an excerpt
the setbacks of CGA
at the front, rule
rear and sidesscript.
could The CGA rule
be read
file was broken down To
and visualised. into individual
provide functions
consistency, to colours
the same be ableused
to interpret the attributes
in the planning scheme were ofentered
each polygon
and extrude as per the building height. Further to the setbacks at the front, rear and sidestocould be
into the original feature layers. These colours were interpreted by the CGA rule file and applied
read andthe visualisation.
visualised. ToImportantly, different parameters
provide consistency, were colours
the same configuredused
to enable the planning
in the user to change the were
scheme
heights and setbacks. However, the limits that are state-wide were hard-coded within the script to
entered into the original feature layers. These colours were interpreted by the CGA rule file and
applied to the visualisation. Importantly, different parameters were configured to enable the user to
change the heights and setbacks. However, the limits that are state-wide were hard-coded within the
script to avoid these being changed by the user. Finally, a block within the activity centre was given
two land uses and colour coded accordingly to determine if the planning scheme could also be
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, 413 7 of 12

avoid these being changed by the user. Finally, a block within the activity centre was given two land
uses and colour coded accordingly to determine if the planning scheme could also be represented in
three dimensions.
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, x FOR PEER REVIEW 7 of 12

Figure
Figure 5. An
5. An excerpt
excerpt of of ComputerGraphic
Computer GraphicArchitecture
Architecture (CGA)
(CGA) rule
rule script
scriptfor
forPlanning
PlanningRules.
Rules.

3.3. 3.3.
Merging Development
Merging Control
Development Layers
Control Layers
Figure 4 reveals
Figure thethe
4 reveals 2D2D
‘schemeControl’
‘schemeControl’layer
layer that
that was the result
was the resultofofthe
themerging
merging‘plan_zone’
‘plan_zone’
withwith
the the
‘localScheme’
‘localScheme’layer. This
layer. produced
This producedan
anexhaustive
exhaustive layer ensuringthat
layer ensuring thatthe
theentire
entirestudy
study area
area is is
covered and the required development controls are incorporated
covered and the required development controls are incorporated into into the model.
model.

3.4. 3.4.
Procedural Modelling
Procedural Modelling

TheThe street
street frontage
frontage problem
problem haslimited
has limitedlarge
largescale
scale procedural
procedural modelling
modellingasassoftware
softwarepackages
packages
are often unable to determine the street edge of a parcel. Without this, the controls
are often unable to determine the street edge of a parcel. Without this, the controls applicable applicable to to
thethe
frontage cannot be applied. The Street Frontage Script developed and, when used
frontage cannot be applied. The Street Frontage Script developed and, when used in the study area,in the study area,
successfully
successfully located
located the the
edgeedge
thatthat
actsacts as the
as the street
street frontage.
frontage. There
There were
were 63566356 consolidated
consolidated parcels
parcels with
with 43,079 vertices and the script reordered the vertices in a clockwise order from the
43,079 vertices and the script reordered the vertices in a clockwise order from the vertex, first touchingvertex, first
touching the road casement. Figure 6a indicates the origin vertex prior to modification and Figure 6b
the road casement. Figure 6a indicates the origin vertex prior to modification and Figure 6b reveals the
reveals the location of the origin following implantation of the script.
location of the origin following implantation of the script.

Figure 6. Origin vertex of the parcel view layer: (a) prior to application of Street Frontage Script; (b)
Figure 6. Origin vertex of the parcel view layer: (a) prior to application of Street Frontage Script;
post application of Street Frontage Script.
(b) post application of Street Frontage Script.
4. Results
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, 413 8 of 12

ISPRS
ISPRS Int.
Int. J.J. Geo-Inf.
Geo-Inf. 2018,
2018, 7,
7, xx FOR
FOR PEER
PEER REVIEW
REVIEW 88 of
of 12
12
4. Results
Using
Using the
the developed
developed tool,
tool, the
the 3D
3D visualisation
visualisation ofof the
the development
development controls
controls as
as per
per the
the Moreland
Moreland
Using the developed tool, the 3D visualisation of the development controls as per the Moreland
planning
planning scheme for Nicholson Street and Lygon Street are demonstrated in Figure 7. The modelling
scheme for Nicholson Street and Lygon Street are demonstrated in Figure 7. The modelling
planning scheme for Nicholson Street and Lygon Street are demonstrated in Figure 7. The modelling
results
results clearly
clearly indicate
indicate the
the controls
controls that
that were
were added
added from
from the
the local
local planning
planning scheme
scheme toto the
the planning
planning
results
zones. clearly
These indicate
areas are the controls
notably that
higher were
in added
density from
and the
have local
a planning
visual scheme
impact on to
the the planning
surrounding
zones. These areas are notably higher in density and have a visual impact on the surrounding
zones. These
landscape. areas are notably higher in density and have a visual impact on the surrounding landscape.
landscape. The
The correct
correct street
street frontages
frontages have
have also
also resulted
resulted inin the
the setbacks
setbacks and
and upper
upper setbacks
setbacks being
being
The correct
applied street frontages have also resulted in the setbacks and upper setbacks being applied to the
applied to
to the
the appropriate
appropriate edge.
edge. This
This isis highlighted
highlighted inin Figure
Figure 8, 8, which
which provides
provides further
further detail
detail of
of the
the
appropriate
design edge. This is highlighted in Figure 8, which provides further detail of the design controls.
controls.
design controls.

Figure 7.
Figure 7. 3D
7.3D model
3Dmodel
model of of
thethe
of Nicholson
Nicholson
the Street
Street
Nicholson and
and Lygon
and Lygon
Street Street Street
Lygon development
development
Street controlscontrols
development as
as per the
controls per
per the
asplanning
the
planning
scheme
planning scheme
controls controls
schemeincontrols in
Figure 5. Figure 5.
in Figure 5.

Figure
Figure 8.
8. Closer
Closer inspection of Lygon Street
Street (Shadowing
(Shadowing time
time set at 10:00 a.m.
a.m. in
in March).
Figure 8. Closer inspection
inspection of
of Lygon
Lygon Street (Shadowing time set at
set at 10:00
10:00 a.m. in March).
March).

Figure
Figure 77 also
also demonstrates
demonstrates the the capability
capability ofof the
the CGA
CGA rule
rule file
file to
to be modified to
be modified visualise
visualise two
to visualise two
different land uses. In this case, commercial use was assigned to the ground
different land uses. In this case, commercial use was assigned to the ground floor, while floor, while residential
while residential
residential
was limited
was limited
was to
limited to the
to the upper
the upper levels.
upper levels.
levels.
Matching
Matching the coordinate reference
the coordinate reference system
system ofof the
the parcels
parcels with
with the
the CityEngine
CityEngine scene
scene successfully
successfully
demonstrates
demonstrates the the effect
effect of
of shadowing
shadowing on on the
the adjacent
adjacent buildings
buildings and
and land
land uses.
uses. Figures
Figures 88 and
and 99 each
each
had a different month and time
had a different month and time of day of day applied
day applied
applied toto demonstrate
demonstrate the change in shadowing across the
to demonstrate the change in shadowing across the
study area.
study area.
During
During the the development
development of of the
the workflow
workflow and and model,
model, it it became
became apparent
apparent that
that the
the
‘Road_Casement’
‘Road_Casement’ layer needed to be from the same updated date as the ‘Parcel_View’ polygon. It
layer needed to be from the same updated date as the ‘Parcel_View’ polygon. It
was
was found
found that
that this
this was
was due
due toto differences
differences occurring
occurring in in the
the positioning
positioning between
between dates,
dates, depending
depending on on
the
the transformations
transformations or or an
an update
update of of aa local
local polygon.
polygon. Furthermore,
Furthermore, usingusing the
the centroid
centroid location
location to
to
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, 413 9 of 12

During the development of the workflow and model, it became apparent that the ‘Road_Casement’
layer needed to be from the same updated date as the ‘Parcel_View’ polygon. It was found that this
was due to differences occurring in the positioning between dates, depending on the transformations
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, x FOR PEER REVIEW 9 of 12
or an update of a local polygon. Furthermore, using the centroid location to pickup the attributes
was chosen for their usability, as the application of a proportional sum analysis would add another
pickup the attributes was chosen for their usability, as the application of a proportional sum analysis
step to the workflow. However, if the user would like to use the proportional sum instead, then
would add another step to the workflow. However, if the user would like to use the proportional
the application can be efficiently conducted in any GIS software package such as ArcGIS or QGIS
sum instead, then the application can be efficiently conducted in any GIS software package such as
(https://www.qgis.org/en/site/) by taking a percentage of the intersection and nominating the greater
ArcGIS or QGIS (https://www.qgis.org/en/site/) by taking a percentage of the intersection and
percentage as the land use (and therefore associated controls).
nominating the greater percentage as the land use (and therefore associated controls).

Figure 9. Test of planning zones along the vertical axis (Shadowing time set at 2:00 p.m. in August).
Figure 9. Test of planning zones along the vertical axis (Shadowing time set at 2:00 p.m. in August).
The commercial
The commercial zone
zone is
is seen
seen in
in purple
purple on
on the
the ground
ground floor.
floor.

5. Discussion
Several studies have shown that 3D city models are instrumental in planning planning tasks including
strategic, and statutory planning. This
participatory, strategic, This study
study sets out with the aim of improving the
workflow of tools for statutory
statutory planning activities through developing a geodatabase structure and
process to use 2D GIS GIS information
information to model and visualise the 3D built built form.
form. The study proposed a
workflow for planning scheme amendment, which can be implemented in the rule based procedural
modelling tools.
A number of recent studies indicated the role of rule-based rule-based 3D visualisation
visualisation for planning and
[37,38]. Accordingly,
design [37,38]. Accordingly,the the3D 3Dvisualisation
visualisation tool
tool in in
thisthis study
study accurately
accurately modelled
modelled the height
the height and
and setback
setback controls
controls applicable
applicable in theinstudy
the study
area area of Moreland.
of Moreland. The 2DTheGIS
2D layer,
GIS layer, workflow
workflow and CGA
and CGA rule
rulewere
file file successfully
were successfully
read byread by CityEngine,
CityEngine, demonstrating
demonstrating the powerthe power
of the of the
proposed 3Dproposed 3D
visualisation
visualisation tool to take 2D GIS procedural modelling and construct
tool to take 2D GIS procedural modelling and construct a 3D model. This workflow improved the a 3D model. This workflow
improved
current the current
procedural procedural
modellings modellings
[36,37] [36,37] the
and addressed andchallenge
addressed the challenge
which which 2,
arose in Section arose
whichin
Section
was the 2, which
need for was the need
specialist fororspecialist
skills knowledge skills or knowledge
in 3D visualisation in models
3D visualisation
[11]. models [11].
Since the tool uses 2D GIS data prior to 3D extrusion, the additional advantage of the developed
is further
tool is furtherrealised
realisedthrough
through thethe added
added ability
ability to conduct
to conduct distance,
distance, area,area, and location
and location analysis
analysis using
using GIS
other other GIS systems.
systems. This capability
This capability preventsprevents
constantconstant
rendering rendering of 3D which
of 3D models, models, which
saves timesaves
and
time and
effort for aeffort
new for a new development
development appraisal taskappraisal task forplanners.
for statutory statutoryConsequently,
planners. Consequently,
the developed the
developed visualisation
visualisation tool can providetool can provide
strategic strategic
planners withplanners with a more
a more efficient meansefficient means
of testing their of testing
vision by
their vision by allowing for multiple large scale iterations, without the need to
allowing for multiple large scale iterations, without the need to edit each individual block. This allowsedit each individual
block.
the This allows
planners to runthe planners
different to run and
scenarios different scenarioswith
communicate andcitizens
communicate
through with citizens through
participatory urban
participatory
planning. Theurban planning.
developed The developed
tool does tool doesas-built
not aim to visualise not aimdevelopment
to visualise as-built development
but instead provides but
the
instead
built formprovides
envelopetheaccording
built formtoenvelope
the designaccording
controls.to the design controls.
The tool uses information and data made readily available to the public (open data) and
therefore users are not restricted by the need to purchase information [12]. In the traditional form,
the third dimension is expressed using texts and the greater variation in controls lead to more
textual rather than visual presentation, which increases the complexity. Reducing these complexities
by having the built form in 3D may assist the role of a statutory planner during the application
process.
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, 413 10 of 12

The tool uses information and data made readily available to the public (open data) and therefore
users are not restricted by the need to purchase information [12]. In the traditional form, the third
dimension is expressed using texts and the greater variation in controls lead to more textual rather
than visual presentation, which increases the complexity. Reducing these complexities by having the
built form in 3D may assist the role of a statutory planner during the application process.
Furthermore, the 3D visualisation tool has been developed to use readily available parcel
information and plan zone layers, which further enhance its versatility and robustness as a 3D
visualisation tool. The methodology is applicable to areas of all shapes and sizes as the visualisation
is driven by the controls in Figure 2. This allows other municipalities to apply the applicable local
controls to derive the 3D model. Figures 7–9 provide an indication of the level of detail which can
be obtained by statutory planners using basic 2D GIS knowledge in planning scheme amendments.
The findings in this study help us to understand the critical role of 3D city models and procedural
modelling in supporting planners for a data-driven and evidence-based planning process.

6. Conclusions
This study has shown that the procedural 3D city modelling tool can be used to analyse and
visualise the planning scheme at 3D level. Using the 2D GIS layer, the procedural modelling can extrude
the visualisation on a large scale without the need to do modelling on a site-by-site basis. This improves
the time taken to develop the visualisation of a design development overlay. The implication of
this is in planning amendments evaluation that can be conducted in 3D visualisation environment.
Large scale procedural modelling will also provide comparability of planning strategies such as urban
intensification in two precincts as they have been developed under the same rule file. The building
footprints attributes can have the same feature class structure developed with a similar CGA rule file
to extrude the polygons and implement the building’s structure. Also, Gross Floor Area calculations
may be added to provide the statistical component of the 3D modelling.
Some anomalies in street frontage script occurred when the parcel boundary had two edges,
which were touching two separate roads. This is more common for corner blocks, but also ones that
back onto another road. The script may be extended to include the breakdown of road casement by its
class code and assign the edge touching the higher class code as the street frontage. To address corner
blocks, the shorter touching edge may be assigned.
The Smart Cities Plan identified that regulatory and policy reforms will need to find ways to
reduce development assessment processing time and inconsistencies. It also noted that the planning
and zoning rules need to be subjected to public interest tests to ensure that the benefits of restrictions to
the community outweigh the costs. The 3D visualisation of the planning controls in this study assisted
in reducing ambiguity amongst stakeholders. A reduction in ambiguity has the potential to reduce
disputes, saving time and costs for the state and development industry, as well as providing assurance
for the community.
3D visualisations can now be readily shared online through ESRI CityEngine web scenes and
users can navigate through the area. Further investigation has also found that current research outlines
the ability for information-rich 3D modelling to assist in complex area analysis without recognising
that even what is regarded as simple 3D modelling is not widely used by planners. Budget and time
constraints together with a reluctance of planners to use 3D models limit the use of 3D visualisations in
urban planning. The development of a new 3D layered planning scheme may drive further research to
the implementation of land use zoning along the vertical axis. The 3D model in the study was extended
to test whether a single parcel could include a commercial and residential zone. The implications of this
could be that regulations regarding mixed-use development may be better understood and managed.
Considerably more work will need to be done to validate the geometrical 3D objects for accurate
measurement of building height and setbacks. In addition, there are several residential development
codes and standards in Victoria Planning Scheme that need indoor visualisation and measurements.
For instance, the current 3D tools need to be improved to enable planners in assessing the overlooking
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2018, 7, 413 11 of 12

and day light to new windows standards. Furthermore, given that the current workflow is developed
for a commercial software package, using open source tools and standards enabling the statutory
planners for 3D development assessment remains a fruitful area for future work.

Author Contributions: Conceptualisation, T.A., S.S. and M.K.; Data curation, T.A.; Methodology, T.A.;
Supervision, S.S. and M.K.; Validation, S.S. and M.K.; Visualisation, T.A.; Writing—original draft, T.A. and
S.S.; Writing—review & editing, S.S. and M.K.
Funding: This research received no external funding
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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