Toward Safe and Inclusive Urban Landscapes: Bringing BIM and GIS Together

OLIVIA MELAZZO: Hi, everyone. Welcome to my class. And get ready to join me on a journey towards safe and inclusive urban landscape as we bring together the power of BIM and GIS, exploring the future of urban design and construction.

I am Olivia Melazzo, an architect from the heart of Argentina and currently part of the amazing team slantis, where we are all about empowering busy architects with cutting-edge technology to bring their projects to real life with success. Also, we are now internationally certified as a woman-owned business, making a significant milestone in our journey towards a more equitable architecture practice.

I was born in a small city of Argentina. But I have been immersed in the vibrant energy of Buenos Aires, our capital city, since my university days. Now please raise your hand if you have also relocated to a larger city in pursuit of professional growth. However, we all know that migration to major urban centers has increased disproportionately in recent years. And this prompts us to ask, what kind of cities do we want to live in?

Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody only because and only when they are created by everybody. I like this quote, since it reflects her views on inclusive urban design and the importance of community involvement in shaping cities. This talk is driven by my curious and solution-oriented approach, which has led me to explore innovative alternatives to contemporary issues, such as the functioning of cities and the main urban challenges faced by them.

This is, for me and hopefully for you, a moment to raise awareness about the current situation and call to our professionals. And thanks to the fusion between BIM and GIS as a promising solution, we can contribute to making cities more inclusive and safer for everyone.

During this class, we will first get a deeper understanding of where we are standing in terms of the urban landscape and what skills need to be improved. We will also explore the key information needed to make changes and how to manage it. And that will enable us to have a deeper understanding of how bringing BIM and GIS together. So this fusion can help us to optimize our projects.

Having first some context of how interoperability works and what are the compatibilities between softwares, we will delve into a case study to see how this fusion works for real-life cases. And all of this information will lead us to some important conclusions.

So first, where are we standing today? The first step is to be aware and find ways to bring solutions to the table. So in order to achieve this, we must identify the main issues and importance of eliminating architectural and cultural barriers.

In 1950, only 30% of us lived in cities. Today, that number exceeds 55%. And it is estimated to reach 70% by 2050. Moreover, this drastic change is happening almost entirely in developing countries, which often lack the necessary infrastructure and resources to accommodate these changes. And we all know that this is reflected in social disparity, cultural segregation, infrastructure deficit, and environmental degradation.

The right to the city. The right to the city is not a new proposal. It appeared in 1968, when Henri wrote that, "Taken over by the interests of capital, the city no longer belongs to the people." He was convinced that the unlimited growth of the city led to a decrease in the quality of architecture and urban planning. According to Henri, people were pushed to live further and further away, especially workers. And the reason for this expansion is mainly because differences in classes, culture, race, and gender.

Today, we all know that the situation remains almost the same, because approximately 2/3 of the city's population is especially vulnerable to these gaps. And that is why we need to start thinking about these issues.

So again, what kind of cities do we want to live in? The first step seems to be implementing holistic and strategic planning, since this challenge is demanding an exceptional blend between public and private funding, visionary architecture, cutting-edge engineering, and collaborative innovation. As Peter Drucker says, if you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it. So the key is data collection, since without information that allows us to understand the territory, the functioning of urban infrastructure and the dynamics of cities, it is very challenging to plan improvement strategies.

But thanks to the incredible technological advancements, nearly every city and district now maintains an open database for professional use. These databases allow professionals to find and extract the information they need and cross-reference it within GIS software. In fact, I believe that the current challenge lies not only availability of information but rather in the sheer volume of it.

And the advantage of having digital tools that bring planning closer to the project is that information collection processes become faster, allowing this more time and resources to be dedicated to decision-making. For that reason, the real challenge is to determine what information is essential and how to effectively manage it.

This is the public database of San Diego, for example. The main feature of this portal is a catalog of city data, which contains hundreds of files with georeferenced information of the city. And remember, not everyone knows how to work with data and they happen to like doing it. So take advantage.

Fernando Álvarez de Celis, which is an important geographer and urban economist from Argentina, once said that to transform reality, one must first understand it. So how do we manage information? So far, so good. We know it is possible to expand the understanding of projects by visualizing data and improving decision-making. But we need to learn how to manage information.

So it's time to bring a purpose to digital tools. We're generating actionable steps for projects with direct impact on urban spaces. Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, stands out as the ideal, spatial, and graphic foundation, since it helps to understand territorial processes, provide new ways for democratizing cities, recognize the necessary services and infrastructures, and evaluate the impact of planning, urbanism, and architecture. Therefore, GIS is not only about the information it handles. But it is also about fostering a culture of collective work and information democratization.

For example, consider this police map from Buenos Aires. It is a website where you can access information about officers, organizations, and police stations operating within the city. The platform provides a space to report incidents of police abuse and offers guidance on how to handle detentions, repressions, and violence in public spaces. It is focused on promoting the human rights of all people living in the city of Buenos Aires.

The map is a model tool for fostering citizenship, which helps to quickly and powerfully bring visibility of cases of police abuse aiming to empower the victims. That is why the political research team considers this to be a significant advancement in terms of the right to information. And of course, the whole project is possible thanks to GIS technology.

From small projects like the previous map to digital twins, the possibilities with GIS are infinite. In Buenos Aires, there is a push to make construction in the city as simple as possible and in line with the digital twin concept, a platform called 3D City has been developed to consolidate all the real estate information of the city. And the projects rely entirely on georeferencing information.

I believe this is a great example of how technology can be utilized to enhance user experience and the application of urban codes as well as promoting transparency in the city's urban development. This tool provides great benefits to real estate developers, investors, and construction professionals, as it helps to save time, prevents mistakes in interpreting the urban code, and it streamlines the evaluation and processing of project construction.

This platform is free to use. And it maps out official boundaries, buildable areas, archeological hazards, priority development areas, as well as educational institutions, health facilities, public buildings, transportation options, and also various use land regulations. Therefore, it enables developers by providing clear information about the structure of each neighborhood. And it is also helpful for residents since it serves as an innovative tool for accessing information that promotes transparency.

A recent update includes also a feature where users can upload their projects in IFC format to visualize the volume within the urban environment. And they are also creating a real-time tool that can analyze the buildability of the projects in accordance with current regulations. This platform was awarded by the 2022 World Small City Awards. And the entire system is open source, encouraging other cities to develop their own tools based on this platform.

So now that we all understand the benefits of using GIS for urban functions, how can we integrate this tool into our daily work? As architects, builders, or developers, I think we can all agree that driving transformation in the [? AEC ?] industry requires professionals to integrate geospatial and design data.

So what if we have the means to make things happen? Thanks to the possibilities today, we can incorporate workflows that are quick and efficient, helping us to understand which aspects we can improve to produce a more resilient architecture.

Lucky for us, this fusion between BIM and GIS is already there. Their ability to provide interoperable data efficiently or holistically and in a user-friendly manner is becoming indispensable in the industry. And it is also blurring the lines between the physical, the digital, and environmental realms, creating a new source of information for entire projects.

The American Institute of Architects has defined BIM as a model-based technology linked with a database of project information. And it also refers to GIS as a concept policy framework that provides the ability to capture and analyze spatial and geographic data. So what do BIM and GIS have in common? Information. While BIM collects all information related to building construction, GIS manages geographical information about the project's location.

So by integrating these two ways of working, a project can be better integrated into the environment. The teams of professionals involved can also communicate in a common language. Data can be shared, studied, and analyzed in either direction. And also the overall process can be improved.

Although in this class we are focusing on how this fusion can contribute to understand projects in their location, we do not want to overlook the extensive list of benefits that can be achieved through this collaboration within the technical, methodological, and social dimension, such as to speed up plan approvals and permits, minimize data loss and risk, improve operational efficiency, reducing costs, making smarter informed decisions, and also enhancing coordination and collaboration.

Take a look at this picture. The integration of Esri GIS and Autodesk BIM technology has led to a huge transformation in the industry. So let's understand together the possibilities around this connection.

There are three ways of integration between both worlds. And the choice of one over the others will depend on the intended use of the integration, professionals involved, the project stage, and also the skills development of each team. These three ways include direct integration in the desktop application, integration between a desktop application and a working cloud, and cloud-to-cloud integration.

So the method of direct integration is used for bringing design files into the GIS environment for the purpose of obtaining insights on the project, conducting advanced spatial analysis, and merging cartographic representations with the real environment. The most common workflow here is with ArcGIS Pro, [INAUDIBLE], CAD, Revit, and IFC files. The integration between desktop application and a working cloud allows for regular updates with data accessible to various team members at the same time.

The most common workflow here is between ArcGIS Pro and BIM Cloud Connection. Also, there is ArcGIS for AutoCAD planning, which allows CAD users to create, edit-- to create and edit GIS data and geolocate models in AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and Map 3D. And finally, the Autodesk connectors for ArcGIS, which are built inside of Civil 3D, InfraWorks, and Map 3D.

The third one is the cloud-to-cloud integration way, which links features between clouds, allowing live project data to update without the need for translation. Here, ArcGIS GeoBIM is an Esri application that runs on the Esri cloud environment and enables the linking of georeferenced ArcGIS features with BIM 360 or Autodesk Construction Cloud.

So keep all of this information in mind, since there are plenty of options for this fusion. But at slantis, we engage with clients to Revit. And this has led me to create a fusion between ArcGIS Pro and Revit with the desktop cloud integration method.

I tried out using this integration to empower our team to make informed decisions based on location and to ensure that architectural and urban projects align with their surroundings. But keep in mind that there are countless integration solutions to explore.

So what happens when we bring our BIM files into the GIS environment? Well, in ArcGIS Pro, your BIM files, whether in IFC or Revit format, are treated as a single workspace but with multiple data sets. But don't worry. You can easily merge multiple BIM files into one geodatabase.

BIM software organizes elements by construction views and ArcGIS Pro takes that structure and applies the BIM naming conventions to create feature data sets within the workspace. This way, each construction category from your Revit or IFC file gets turned into a feature class.

And here's the cool part. ArcGIS Pro doesn't just capture the geometry. It also brings in all the descriptive attributes and design parameters from your BIM elements, transforming them into feature classes, attributes that are ready to be used.

So let's delve into a real-world application now. Buenos Aires, our capital city, is a cosmopolitan city. And it is also one of the most important capitals in the continent. Also, it is the second city in Latin America with the best quality of life. And it's considered to be one of the 25 most influential cities in the world.

Lucky for its residents, the city is currently undergoing an urbanization process to integrate vulnerable neighborhoods into the formal city. Inspired by this, I decided to explore the fusion of Revit and ArcGIS Pro to identify the necessary modifications and design the transformation of some of these areas. This process is made possible thanks to the transparency of information which is available in the public database of Buenos Aires, similar to the San Diego portal we explored earlier.

This is Rodrigo Bueno, a vulnerable neighborhood into the heart of the city and located near the ecological reservation area of it. Surrounded by some of Buenos Aires' most influential zones, it remains an overlooked and disconnected area. But I think it is possible to bridge the gap between this neighborhood and the rest of the city.

Once I have gathered all the necessary data to gain a comprehensive view of the urban, social, and economic landscape, these were the key findings I arrived at. First of all, the lack of accessible green spaces. While a significant portion of the area is designated as a green space, it remains private, which leads residents to feel deprived of public recreational spaces.

Next, I have identified some disconnected areas. A considerable portion of the community has minimal access to public transportation, forcing many to rely on private vehicles or walking. And you might know that this lack of connectivity limits mobility and opportunities, especially for those in vulnerable neighborhoods.

Another major issue is the undersized health center, serving as a large part of the area. This reminds us the urgent need to enhance health facility availability for these communities or to improve connections to other centers. Additionally, vacant lots were identified, limiting walkability, poor lighting in some sections, and the weak community bonds.

Once completed the analysis, it's time to integrate the project with the surrounding environment. And here's the way to do it. First step is to set the map and load all the necessary data for the project. Second, to establish the BIM cloud connection. Before importing your 3D model, it is possible to make some necessary modifications on the project's environment. And after that, comes to locating the Revit model and setting the project location in ArcGIS Pro. Finally, you have to import the 3D model to start working on it.

So let's quickly go over these five steps. But remember that you can find more detailed information in the handout. So step one, after exploring public databases, you have to set the project location and load all the necessary data sets into the current ArcGIS map to effectively analyze the environment.

Setting up BIM cloud connections is easy. You just have to make sure you authorize the connection from your Autodesk cloud first. Once you do that, all your projects from the BIM cloud will be available at ArcGIS Pro.

When working on a project with an existing environment, sometimes modifications are needed. And that is why you can manipulate existing objects by creating filters, as we do in Revit, allowing you to hide existing structures and precisely position your project.

If the main model is already georeferenced in Revit and it appears in the correct location when you load it, great. If not, don't worry. You can geolocate it and assign a coordinate system directly in ArcGIS Pro.

One important note-- the 3D model on a digital scene should share the same coordinate system to avoid slowdowns. So I recommend you to choose a projected coordinate system that is commonly used in your region.

And finally, when you have to position the model, here's a tip from my experience. First, start by importing just the structure position the project, save the real-world location, and then import the rest of the project. This is going to keep things efficient. And after this process, the project will be positioned and ready to interact with its environment. From here, you can extract the necessary information and work on potential improvements.

So after preparing the project in ArcGIS Pro and importing the model, the next step is to understand the site and using the analysis tools. For this [INAUDIBLE] application, after doing this, I proceeded to develop a plan of action by proposing a three-scale improvement process. First of all, the urban scale, which involves modifying transportation systems and improve connectivity in the area.

For the infrastructural scale, adding the necessary architecture and infrastructure buildings for proper functionality. And the social scale involves integrating these improvements to generate social impact. So now comes the exciting part-- integrating information, maps, and architectural solutions.

For the urban scale process, I proposed to creating a corridor to connect the neighborhood with the city and the river, improving resident's quality of life, and expanding sidewalks for safety, promoting a more walkable environment. Also, adding bus stops and extending routes to improve connectivity and link the neighborhood to the city. And last, to transform empty lots into a social plaza for recreation and to foster community integration.

For the infrastructural scale, to establish a multipurpose community center, that becomes the heartbeat of the neighborhood, housing essential services like an emergency room and a police station. And finally, the social consequences for these action items will be to bring the community together by amplifying the community's sense of cohesion and ensuring that every project element contributes to a more connected and resilient neighborhood.

Well, let's draw conclusions now. Check out these three images. The first one is from 2016, before a real urbanization project took place. At that time, the area was below the urbanization standards, isolating from the city and surrounded by an inaccessible natural reserve.

In the current image, we can see a significant improvement in the housing situation, with the construction of hundreds of new homes. However, urban integration with the city still lags behind, in terms of transportation and social connections. And the last image presents an utopian but yet achievable vision of the area, after the successful implementation of this project.

With the help of GIS tools operating with BIM data, we have identified deficiencies and devised a comprehensive action plan to seamlessly integrate the neighborhoods into the city's urban layout. In the end, we have come to realize together that integration is crucial for fully digitalizing the value chain of the [? AEC ?] industry.

First up, streamlining analysis efforts not only saves time but allows for more time to focus on the projects. Second, this workflow also avoids duplication of information or storage capacity issues. And also, it reduces efforts, making it a valuable approach for any project. And the happy part is that implementing this workflow is not costly. It merely requires initiative.

And also, at slantis, the implementation of this workflow allows us to effectively collaborate with clients all around the world, knowing exactly what is going on in the projects surrounding and helping them to succeed with a more and more accurate approach.

So at this point, we have established that transforming our own living space, making it useful for the needs of everyone, is the true way to practice the right to the city. We have uncovered key urban challenges and exploring ways to create more inclusive cities by removing architectural and cultural barriers. Along the way, we have also discovered how to leverage public databases, GIS tools, and BIM integration for better decision-making.

So by integrating BIM and GIS, we can deliver more precise solutions, helping to build safer and more inclusive cities. And as we say in Argentina, [SPANISH]. Every little contribution counts. For me, it is important to realize that even small improvements can spark big changes. So I encourage you to join this journey and think about how you can apply these ideas to your own projects and drive a meaningful change.

Thank you so much for your time. I hope you walk away with some useful insights. And please reach me on social media if you have any questions or comments.