Computer-implemented land planning system and method designed to generate at least one conceptual fit solution to a user-defined land development problem

1. A computer-implemented land planning system designed to generate at least one conceptual fit and cost-optimized solution to a user-defined land development problem, said system comprising:

means for electronically creating a population of candidate solutions to the land development problem, each candidate solution comprising a plurality of interrelated engineering measurements applicable in development of an undeveloped land site, and said plurality of engineering measurements being selected from a group consisting of grading, building pad layout, and utilities;

means for accessing a cost model comprising cost data for said plurality of engineering measurements;

means employing an iterative, heuristic problem-solving strategy to manipulate the engineering measurements of said candidate solutions until a population of cost-optimized fit solutions to the land development problem is achieved, whereby a change relative to one of said plurality of engineering measurements for a given candidate solution effects a change relative to another of said plurality of engineering measurements for that candidate solution;

means for selecting a set of optimally different alternative solutions from said population of cost-optimized fit solutions; and

means for outputting to a user documentation illustrating said optimally different alternative cost-optimized solutions to the land development problem.

2. A computer-implemented land planning system according to claim 1 , and comprising means for digitally representing the undeveloped land site in three-dimensional space.

3. A computer-implemented land planning system according to claim 2 , and comprising means for conceptually locating said engineering measurements within said three-dimensional space.

4. A computer-implemented land planning system according to claim 1 , wherein said engineering measurements are selected from a further group consisting of storm water system, sanitary sewer collection system, and potable water system.

5. A computer-implemented land planning system according to claim 1 , wherein said documentation comprises a least one computer-generated drawing.

6. A computer-implemented land planning system according to claim 5 , wherein said documentation further comprises an itemized cost listing of said engineering measurements.

7. A computer-implemented land planning system according to claim 1 , wherein said documentation is delivered to the user via a global communications network.

8. A computer-implemented land planning system designed to generate at least one conceptual fit and cost optimized solution to a user-defined land development problem, said system comprising:

means for accessing land development constraints for an undeveloped land site;

means for electronically creating a population of candidate solutions to the land development problem, each candidate solution comprising a plurality of interrelated engineering measurements applicable in development of the undeveloped land site, and said plurality of engineering measurements being selected from a group consisting of building pad, parking lot and access roads, storm water collection system, sanitary sewer collection system, and potable water system;

means for accessing a cost model comprising respective cost data for each of said engineering measurements;

means for discarding unfit solutions which violate said land development constraints;

for each remaining solution, means for calculating a fitness score based on said cost data for said engineering measurements;

means for employing an iterative, heuristic problem-solving strategy for manipulating said engineering measurements of respective select candidate solutions to achieve increased fitness scores until a population of cost-optimized fit solutions is achieved, whereby a change relative to one of said plurality of engineering measurements for a given candidate solution effects a change relative to another of said plurality of engineering measurements for that candidate solution;

means for selecting a set of optimally different alternative solutions from said population of cost-optimized fit solutions; and

means for outputting to a user documentation illustrating said optimally different alternative cost-optimized solutions to the land development problem.

9. A computer-implemented land planning system according to claim 8 , and comprising means for accessing user preferences for the undeveloped land site.

10. A computer-implemented land planning system according to claim 9 , and comprising means for penalizing the fitness score of a candidate solution based on violation of a user preference.

11. A computer-implemented land planning system according to claim 8 , and comprising means for digitally representing the undeveloped land site in three-dimensional space.

12. A computer-implemented land planning system according to claim 11 , and comprising means for conceptually locating said engineering measurements within said three-dimensional space.

13. A computer-implemented land planning system according to claim 8 , wherein said documentation comprises at least one computer-generated drawing.

14. A computer-implemented land planning system according to claim 13 , wherein said documentation further comprises an itemized cost listing of said engineering measurements.

15. A computer-implemented land planning system according to claim 8 , wherein said documentation is delivered to the user via a global communications network.

16. A computer-implemented land planning method designed to generate at least one conceptual fit and cost-optimized solution to a user-defined land development problem, said method comprising:

electronically creating at least one candidate solution to the land development problem, the candidate solution comprising a plurality of interrelated engineering measurements applicable in development of an undeveloped land site, and the plurality of engineering measurements being selected from a group consisting of grading, building pad layout, and utilities;

employing an iterative heuristic problem-solving strategy for manipulating the engineering measurements of the candidate solution until a population of cost-optimized fit solutions to the land development problem is achieved, whereby a change relative to one of the plurality of engineering measurements for the candidate solution effects a change relative to another of the plurality of engineering measurements for that candidate solution;

selecting a set of optimally different alternative solutions from the population of cost-optimized fit solutions; and

outputting to a user documentation illustrating the optimally different alternative cost-optimized solutions to the land development problem.

17. A computer-implemented land planning method according to claim 16 , and comprising digitally representing the undeveloped land site in three-dimensional space.

18. A computer-implemented land planning method according to claim 17 , and comprising conceptually locating the engineering measurements within the three-dimensional space.

19. A computer-implemented land planning method according to claim 16 , and comprising delivering the documentation to the user via a global communications network.