From heuristics to data: A parcel-level representation of site planning layouts from multimodal urban evidence

Site-planning layouts are difficult to compare computationally because many planning-relevant relationships are understood through professional judgement, heuristic rules, and regulatory practice rather than directly measurable variables. This study develops the Site Planning Layout Indicators (SPLI), a parcel-level framework that translates selected site-planning concepts and multimodal urban evidence into structured spatial indicators. SPLI links building-level morphology and functional hierarchy with parcel-level spatial organization, functional diversity, accessibility conditions, and land-use intensity. A reproducible workflow harmonizes statutory land use, parcel and building geometry, points of interest, street networks, and building-function information; supplements incomplete building attributes through relational graph-based inference; and distinguishes observed, derived, inferred, and interpreted fields while retaining their provenance and processing status. The framework is applied across statutory land-use categories and planning subzones in Queenstown, Singapore. An evidence-first classification procedure, threshold perturbation tests, implementation in a second planning area, and independent professional blind coding are used to examine the reproducibility and interpretive limits of the spatial-organization rules. Comparative analyses identify contextual differences in several SPLI fields, most clearly in accessibility and development intensity. SPLI provides a traceable operational basis for storing, comparing, and revising selected products of planning reasoning without treating professional judgement as universal ground truth.

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Publication Details

Journal
Computers Environment and Urban Systems
Published
2026-09-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2026.102530
Primary Topic
Urban Design and Spatial Analysis
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

From heuristics to data: A parcel-level representation of site planning layouts from multimodal urban evidence

Qian Cao, Rudi Maria Frans Anne Stouffs, Jielin Chen, Junchao Zhao
Computers Environment and Urban Systems
Urban Design and Spatial Analysis
article

From heuristics to data: A parcel-level representation of site planning layouts from multimodal urban evidence

Qian Cao, Rudi Maria Frans Anne Stouffs, Jielin Chen, Junchao Zhao
article en

Abstract

Site-planning layouts are difficult to compare computationally because many planning-relevant relationships are understood through professional judgement, heuristic rules, and regulatory practice rather than directly measurable variables. This study develops the Site Planning Layout Indicators (SPLI), a parcel-level framework that translates selected site-planning concepts and multimodal urban evidence into structured spatial indicators. SPLI links building-level morphology and functional hierarchy with parcel-level spatial organization, functional diversity, accessibility conditions, and land-use intensity. A reproducible workflow harmonizes statutory land use, parcel and building geometry, points of interest, street networks, and building-function information; supplements incomplete building attributes through relational graph-based inference; and distinguishes observed, derived, inferred, and interpreted fields while retaining their provenance and processing status. The framework is applied across statutory land-use categories and planning subzones in Queenstown, Singapore. An evidence-first classification procedure, threshold perturbation tests, implementation in a second planning area, and independent professional blind coding are used to examine the reproducibility and interpretive limits of the spatial-organization rules. Comparative analyses identify contextual differences in several SPLI fields, most clearly in accessibility and development intensity. SPLI provides a traceable operational basis for storing, comparing, and revising selected products of planning reasoning without treating professional judgement as universal ground truth.

Computers Environment and Urban SystemsVol. 131
National University of Singapore (SG), Sichuan Provincial Architectural Design and Research Institute (China) (CN), The Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (SG)
Sustainable cities and communities
Openalex Percentile: Top 16%
Urban Design and Spatial Analysis
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