Integrating Social, Spatial, Climatic, and Functional Concerns: A Novel Framework for Optimizing Pedestrian-Friendly Urban Morphology

Source abstract

Optimization has emerged as a critical tool for addressing complex urban design challenges, with a surge in related publications—approximately 695,783 according to Scopus between 2017 and 2023. While Genetic Algorithms (GAs) have been widely applied (85,491 publications), and over 10,000 studies have utilized optimization at the urban scale, few have comprehensively integrated multiple design dimensions. This study aims to develop a Proposed Framework: Multi-Approach Pedestrian Urban Morphology (MAP-UM) that balances climate, space, social dynamics, and functionality. Our proposed framework includes pre-generation, generation, and post-generation stages. The core generation process integrates parametric, analysis, evolution, and optimization models to consider nine key design fitness objectives: Increased thermal comfort UTCI values in winter; Decreased thermal comfort UTCI values in summer; Increased site accessibility; Reduced vehicle movement inside the neighborhood; Increased pedestrian movement inside the neighborhood; Decreased urban morphology enclosure; Decreased distance between land uses (services, commercial, residential units); Increased block permeability; and Increased Floor Space Index (FSI). By addressing this research gap, the research aims to provide a comprehensive framework for achieving pedestrian-friendly urban morphology. This framework used to generate pedestrian-centric urban morphology that incorporates these design criteria.