Designing resilient communities: Arcadis’ data-driven approach with Forma and ArcGIS

Autodesk Forma Team September 18, 2025

1 min read

Autodesk Forma, available in the AEC Collection or as a standalone subscription, offers powerful AI-powered tools for architects and designers in pre-design and schematic design phases.
Forma integrates ArcGIS’ authoritative layers—zoning, transit, public space, view cones—into a single 3D model enabling instant, actionable insight, so architects can focus their time on designing instead of sourcing static 2D maps. Image courtesy of Arcadis

Our world is changing, and the way we design our environments much shift accordingly to meet new climate and societal demands. Having accessible context and environmental data from the onset of the design process is key to understanding impacts, unlocking opportunities, and addressing challenges before a project is built.

The Arcadis team implemented the new integration between Autodesk Forma and ArcGIS to bring GIS and BIM into a single platform. Having spatial and environmental analysis integrated into their 3D model enables the team to study their site in more detail, considering multiple factors in parallel. They’re able to work more effectively by centralizing their workflows, making informed decisions using data from day one, and focusing more on creative problem solving rather than be hindered by data management.

From static 2D maps to a dynamic 3D model with integrated layers of real-world GIS data. Image courtesy of Arcadis

This blog post details four shifts in design practice to help architects leverage data to design with resilience in mind:

Read the full story here.


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