Optimising data for urban development in emerging economies can unlock smart, liveable and equitable cities

Robust and focused data can be an enabler of smart, liveable and sustainable cities in developing regions, particularly in South East Asia, where sectors operate in silos and development is often fragmented, with ageing infrastructure outpaced by population growth.

Huế Smart Digital City Model.

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Many of these countries have strength in their natural, social and economic capital but face challenges from rural to urban migration, climate change, pollution and environmental deterioration, limited local and national budgets, and preserving their distinct cultural heritage.

Ramboll is supporting the ASEAN Australia Smart Cities Trust Fund (AASCTF) to help drive sustainable and equitable urban development in South East Asia. The Ramboll team, serving as the main implementation partner of AASCTF, has placed a great emphasis on the collection and use of accessible and reliable data to achieve the trust fund’s objectives for smart city transformation.

“Many of the cities we work with under the trust fund are still in the nascent stage of their data and urban management journey,” Kyaw Thu, an urban development specialist at the Asian Development Bank and the AASCTF program manager said.

“Data is often lacking on urban conditions, services, and even demographic profiles, especially of those marginalised and in vulnerable situations. This impacts how we design interventions and ensure urban planning is evidence-based and inclusive.”

Setting up cities for digital urban planning

Spatial planning and 3D modelling can be a starting point for developing cities to increase their data around land use, demographic characteristics and environmental assets and is a first step in the digital transformation of the way that they plan for future infrastructure. For example, by using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping to collect spatial data and embed 3D digital models into the planning assessment and master planning processes of cities, we help realise their potential and involve communities in planning and decision-making. It will allow for more integrated planning and greater collaboration between all stakeholders; giving emerging economies the capacity to grow inclusively and sustainably.

Under the AASCTF, Ramboll is currently conducting a pilot study in Hue, Vietnam using satellite data to develop a 3D model for urban master planning. The Hue Smart Digital City Model is intended to be a focal database for integrated spatial and demographic data. The model will be embedded into the construction permitting and master planning processes, creating true value for both public and private sectors through a more collaborative and evidence-based approach to urban management decisions.

In Hue, 3D data is captured using satellite imagery, which allows a lower cost and broader contextual view of the city compared to other methods such as aircraft or sUAS. With this approach, the 3D model of existing urban and peri-urban areas of Hue covers 350km². Workflows are embedded in the model to support data augmentation, empirical decision making and engagement through visualisation.

Inclusive city design

Spatial planning through 3D modelling allows planners and decision-makers to look at the city from various angles and scenarios, whether an ecosystem or granular level, and to tailor services for different demographics based on disaggregated data such as sex, age, disability, and socio-economic status.

The models, for instance, can show heat maps of where people with disabilities live and work to allow planners to better improve accessibility and create more inclusive and accessible public spaces. Similarly, mobility patterns of women typically demonstrate the multiple stops they conduct in a day, underscoring the different roles they have in a household as caregivers and additional income providers in emerging economies. Such data can help agencies assess the potential social impacts of urban planning decisions, including how changes may affect vulnerable groups such as women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and Indigenous people. This information is crucial for designing more inclusive urban services that cater to specific needs, thereby helping to advance the gender equality, disability, and social inclusion agenda in cities.

Preserving cultural heritage

Another area where there is great potential for 3D modelling to make a difference is in the use of satellite imagery to identify traditional villages and areas of cultural significance.

Developing regions across Southeast Asia often have diverse and unique communities with culturally important buildings, practices, and other historical landmarks, as well as natural landscapes that need to be preserved.

Under the AASCTF program, Ramboll has been supporting Luang Prabang – a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic – by developing a smart and integrated urban strategy that will help them achieve a liveable heritage city for all. The strategy contains 50 proposed smart city projects, which include updating the city’s heritage inventory into a comprehensive GIS platform as well as developing an interdepartmental GIS to house an integrated urban master plan and framework. The establishment of such platforms will facilitate the sharing of data between agencies and improve collaboration and decision-making.

By monitoring these assets deemed as having outstanding universal values and taking a proactive approach to planning, the city can plot growth areas that avoid heritage loss.

Addressing height and density issues

A challenge that these cities face is the growth of new infrastructure, such as high-rise buildings, that are often in contrast to traditional infrastructure, especially those with cultural and historical significance. Heritage sites and buildings, for example, have important view corridors requiring protection from intrusion by high-rise structures, shadows or other prominent visual elements.

With many of these regions expecting more tall buildings during the next five to 10 years, 3D modelling with spatial data can run scenarios and test where these new buildings are best suited. These models can simulate sightlines from various perspectives, helping planners and decision-makers understand how new developments might obstruct or enhance key views of heritage sites and other cultural landmarks.

Planners can bring the design straight into the model and do a shadow analysis as well as consider future density increases.

By integrating 3D models into the planning process, decision-makers can make informed choices on the placement and height of high-rise buildings, considering the potential impact on the cityscape, heritage assets, and overall aesthetics.

Climate change and valuing natural capital

One of their big priorities for developing cities is adapting to climate change and increasing coastal protection. Spatial planning through 3D modelling is increasingly being used to assess natural capital and model any changes.

For example, visualisations based on spatial and climate risk data can show projected changes in temperature and sea levels at different times and the impact these changes might have on the city. Such data allows planners to assess the level of risks in different areas of the city and develop strategies to mitigate these risks and design more resilient structures.

Similarly, models can be used to assess changes in vegetation and where changes to the landscape may be happening from climate impacts.

Ramboll has been working with the Makassar City Government in Indonesia to help develop a more liveable city by developing a comprehensive set of assessments, plans, and digital tools that provide a strategic framework for smart urban development. A recommendation from the project is the development of a digital ecosystem for spatial planning, which will enable government agencies to more easily share information across departments and other relevant stakeholders, and make evidence-driven decisions when prioritizing future city investments.

Bringing all stakeholders together

Developments in emerging economic zones can have a complex range of stakeholders: from investors building a new high-rise tower, to provincial governments and national departments tasked with ensuring compliance with zoning regulations and building codes; even charitable organisations and government partner involvement as well as the communities themselves.

Each stakeholder group will often develop their own data and be quite protective of that data.

Building a 3D model of a city can help bring all this data together and combine workflows into one database or an online portal where the data can be extracted, where proposals can be submitted and where the community can make submissions or leave their views on what the future of the city might look like. This is much easier to interpret and collaborate on than a physical map.

Spatial planning through 3D modelling can be used to create scenarios visualising and communicating different city design options, taking into consideration infrastructure density, disaster risk and various land use and demographic factors.

One of the major benefits of this approach is capacity building within these developing cities. The 3D model gives these regions the capacity to innovate and to grow in a sustainable way.

Optimising data builds a solid foundation for key decision makers and stakeholders to make sound decisions for urban development by providing a holistic view of the area. Understanding and visualising the data collected can be of tremendous help in analysing the data to create a smart environment. However, the ultimate value of smart cities is how the data is interpreted and used to achieve long-term objectives across liveability, inclusivity, and equitable and inclusive cities.