An Integrated BIM and GIS Framework for Sustainable Urban Planning

Urban planning has various issues as cities expand rapidly, population density rises, and urban infrastructure becomes more complicated. Poor exploitation of resources such as land, energy, and water has contributed to environmental degradation and unsustainable development. The lack of integrated data systems for the management of building and geographical information complicates decision-making in the process of urban planning. This may result in congestion, insufficient public services, energy inefficiency, and inadequate environmental management. Such issues require an integrated solution in urban planning, from specific building-level data to wide geographical information, in order to maximize resource utilization and improve the quality of life in urban areas. The paper proposes an integrated BIM and GIS framework to take up the challenges in urban planning within high-density environments. The integration of the thorough building models of BIM with the spatial context of GIS allows comprehensive urban analysis, hence enhancing decision-making for growth in sustainable cities. It also allows the running of advanced simulations such as energy use, flow of traffic, and environmental impact studies. Furthermore, it has aided in improving collaboration between planners, developers, and other stakeholders, in order to create more comprehensive urban development strategies.