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Autodesk plans to energize the regional and local planning market with a purpose-built solution for planning professionals
The American Planning Association’s 2015 National Conference, which concluded yesterday, is the premier event each year for the urban planning community in the United States. Autodesk was out in force at this year’s conference in Seattle with a preview of Autodesk Urban Canvas software at a collaborative “Tech Zone” co-hosted with Parsons Brinckerhoff.
First, the news — Announced today, Autodesk Urban Canvas offers innovative ways for planners to design, analyze and collaborate with technical, and non-technical stakeholders of regional and urban planning projects. In keeping with the acquired Synthicity technology it is based on, Autodesk Urban Canvas continues to offer a single solution that enables urban planning workflows previously not available on the market. Everything from editing and sharing data for parcels, buildings, zoning, and development project to more rapidly design and communicate alternative scenarios and phasing for proposed development projects can be done within a dynamic graphical environment.
The launch of Autodesk Urban Canvas follows the recent acquisition of technology and expertise from Synthicity, LLC, a Berkeley, California-based software company. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Today, urban planners have to use a wide variety of tools including GIS software, disparate databases, spreadsheets, and various design tools to bring together the data they need to develop, analyze, and communicate alternative plans. Autodesk Urban Canvas offers a consolidated environment specifically designed for planners to help integrate these tasks in a single platform.
Autodesk Urban Canvas enables planners to thematically display project proposals and urban data in context. Images courtesy of Autodesk.
“The planning profession is critically important to facilitating the transformation of cities throughout the world to become more livable, inclusive and sustainable,” said Paul Waddell, Professor and Chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley, and Autodesk Consultant.
“The release of Urban Canvas, combined with continued expansion of capabilities in Autodesk InfraWorks 360 and the collaboration with Impact Infrastructure, who developed AutoCASE for triple bottom line analysis, demonstrates Autodesk’s commitment to enable sustainability through design,” said Scott Noble, Industry Strategy Manager, Land Development & Urban Planning, Autodesk.
Using desktop software and cloud-based data resources, Autodesk Urban Canvas enables planning professionals to:
- Collaboratively edit and share built environment data in the cloud
- Develop and evaluate alternative scenarios and phasing
- Track development projects
- Rapidly generate 3D building models for proposed projects, the local context of those projects, and for the entire metropolitan region
- Visualize and analyze alternative planning scenarios
Analyze proposal as you design
Design and visualize in context
Visualize data in 3D across geographic scales
Convey the right information at the right time
Availability and More Information
Autodesk Urban Canvas is now available in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom as an annual or quarterly Desktop Subscription, purchased directly from Autodesk. Contact via email Urban.Canvas.Sales@autodesk.com for pricing, purchasing options and product information.
For more about Autodesk Urban Canvas, check out these videos:
- General overview
- Paul Waddell explains the history of Autodesk Urban Canvas
- Paul Waddell highlights key features and innovations offered by Autodesk Urban Canvas
- Scott noble comments on strategic significance of Autodesk Urban Canvas
- Scott Noble explains the relationship between Autodesk InfraWorks 360 and Autodesk Urban Canvas
Autodesk and Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Collaborative Tech Zone
At this year’s American Planning Association Conference Autodesk and Parsons Brinckerhoff teamed up to host a wide range of demonstrations aimed at showing urban planners what today’s technologies can offer. The 4,000 square foot “Tech Zone” offered a treasure trove of advanced technology aimed at enhancing the planning process for planners and land developers, including demonstrations of Autodesk Urban Canvas. Additional displays highlighting digital city models, augmented and virtual reality, geospatial and BIM planning, mobile and social uses in planning, and forecasting and analytics technologies were also available for attendees to explore.
