A systematic review of multi-scale digital modelling in sustainable urban design and management

Feng Guo, Ling Ma, Junhao Wu, Ke Chen, Weili Fang ,

Tim Broyd

Abstract

Digital modelling has significantly advanced and is crucial in urban and building design. Numerous scholars have reviewed and summarized digital modelling research for buildings and cities. However, existing reviews lack a comparative analysis of the similarities and differences between urban and building modelling and a focus on practical applications across multiple scales. Multi-scale digital modelling (MSDM) refers to digital models encompassing varying geometric or semantic detail levels. This paper presents a quantitative analysis and systematic literature review (SLR) of MSDM for cities and buildings. The SLR identifies trending research themes as "Digital Building/Urban Design" and "Sustainable Building/Urban Management." Broader urban applications often require lower Levels of Detail (LoD1-2) for efficient analysis, whereas building management tasks demand higher LoD (LoD3-4). Urban resource management, with a particular emphasis on energy management, is a focal area where scholars investigate issues such as urban energy demand, consumption, and solar potential. The "reconstruction-amendment-calculation-update" process could support better integrating distributed energy systems, energy storage, and urban infrastructure. Furthermore, other urban resources, including water, land, infrastructure, and waste, can be sustainably managed by employing well-planned multi-level digital models. Effective urban and architectural design and strategic urban resource management will foster sustainable development for cities and society.

Keywords:Multiscale digital model;Renewable energy;Urban resources management;Sustainable development;Systematic literature review

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210670724009259