Our Journey to a Smarter, Greener Future of Urban Design

One of the most pressing problems in urban development is how to construct the infrastructure and homes that our communities require while simultaneously preserving and improving the environment. To make sure that we leave nature in a better state than when we found it, our industry has long depended on resources such as the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) calculator.

This issue guided my recent research with the BiUrbs project, an amazing partnership between Stolon Studio, the University of the West of England (UWE), the University of Manchester, and the Sustainability and Research Institute (SRI) of the University of East London (UEL). Together, we learnt that looking beyond the numbers is necessary for true nature-positive design.

The Limits of One Metric

We conducted a thorough analysis of four initial test sites throughout the UK to gain a better understanding of the complexities of real-world development. These sites ranged from dense urban centres to suburban brownfield land. One important finding was confirmed by this seminal work depending solely on one metric, such as the BNG calculator, is insufficient. Despite being necessary, it has drawbacks that may result in less-than-ideal ecological outcomes.

According to our research, a BNG-only strategy can occasionally:

• Disincentives for quality include favouring slower-growing, more complex habitats with higher long-term benefits over faster-growing, less ecologically valuable ones.

• Ignore Connectivity: Ignoring the fact that a single, large, connected habitat is far superior to numerous, dispersed patches, even though the former is much better for wildlife.

A More Comprehensive Approach: Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Data

We created a more comprehensive strategy to fill in these gaps. We think that better, more reliable results are produced when quantitative data and qualitative principles are combined. Integrating two potent frameworks was our solution:

• The BNG Calculator: For the crucial quantitative evaluation of net gain and habitat units.

• The Framework for BiUrbs Green Infrastructure (GI): We created a qualitative checklist to make sure development is not only compliant but also connected, multifunctional, and beneficial to both people and the environment.

From Unprocessed Data to a Robust Simulator: Overcoming the Obstacles

Developing this research into an interactive tool presented a unique set of difficulties that any data engineer would be familiar with. The raw, unprocessed source data was dispersed throughout several intricate Excel sheets. Every sheet had a different layout, with different column names and header positions.

I had to design a strong pipeline for data loading and cleaning in order to create a dependable simulator. This required creating clever parsing functions that were able to:

• Find each sheet's header row dynamically.

• Make inconsistent column names consistent.

• Manage the data's hierarchical structure to accurately link each development option to its parent website.

Stakeholders can use the simulator to observe firsthand how a comprehensive approach can result in better designs that are not only statistically "green," but also resilient to environmental changes and helpful to society.

Design's Future Relies on Collaboration

The BiUrbs project is still in progress. Our next research phase will concentrate on integrating artificial intelligence to turn the current simulator which is a potent analytical tool into an intelligent design partner. In our ideal future, artificial intelligence (AI) will enable us to do more than just examine the past; it will also be able to forecast how well new designs will perform in the future and even create innovative, user-specific site layouts.

We can equip a new generation of planners and designers to create the future's nature-positive cities by fusing cutting-edge technology, a comprehensive framework, and solid data.

I want to extend a sincere thank you to the entire SRI team and UEL for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this vital research. The progress made in developing this foundational simulator over the course of my two-month internship has been an incredible learning experience, and I am excited to see how this work evolves.

By Sanath Balbadri