IP Library Granted Patent US 12,499,288
Granted Patent B2
US 12,499,288 · App. 17/693,920 · Granted Dec 16, 2025

Techniques for automatically generating urban and neighborhood designs

Inventors: David Benjamin (Brooklyn, NY); James Stoddart (Atlanta, GA); Lorenzo Villaggi (Brooklyn, NY); Danil Nagy (New York, NY)
Assignee: AUTODESK, INC.
G06F30/13G06N3/126G06Q10/06313G06Q40/12G06Q50/165G06F3/04815G06F3/04847G06F2111/02G06F2111/04G06F2111/06G06F2111/20G06T15/005G06T17/05
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,499,288
App. No.
17/693,920
Granted
Dec 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An urban design pipeline automatically generates design options for an urban design project based on a financial model. The urban design pipeline includes a geometry engine that generates candidate designs to meet various design criteria and design objectives associated with the urban design project. The urban design pipeline also includes an evaluation engine that evaluates the candidate designs based on the financial model. The financial model quantifies the financial performance of any given candidate design. The urban design pipeline operates iteratively to improve the candidate designs until one or more convergence criteria are met, thereby generating a set of design options with acceptable financial performance.

Claims (43)

1 . A computer-implemented method for generating designs for an urban design project with acceptable financial performance, the method comprising:

generating, via a computer-aided design (CAD) application, first geometry associated with a first candidate design;

generating, via the CAD application, a first metric for the first candidate design based on a financial model, wherein the first metric indicates a first amount of revenue associated with developing a region of land according to the first candidate design, wherein the first amount of revenue is generated by selling a first structure indicated in the first candidate design;

determining that the first metric does not meet a design objective representing a financial objective associated with the financial model;

automatically modifying the first geometry based on the first metric to generate second geometry associated with a second candidate design;

generating a second metric for the second candidate design based on the financial model;

determining that the second metric meets the design objective; and

displaying the second metric to indicate a degree to which the second candidate design meets the financial objective.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the second metric meeting the design objective indicates that the second candidate design is a higher ranked design than the first candidate design.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first geometry meets a different design objective associated with the region of land.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first metric further indicates a first amount of capital associated with developing the region of land according to the first candidate design.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the first amount of capital includes a first cost associated with building a first structure on the region of land.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the first cost comprises at least one of a unit cost associated with the first structure, a linear unit cost associated with a portion of the first structure, or an area unit cost associated with the portion of the first structure.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein generating the first metric comprises determining a total cost associated with building a first set of structures on the region of land based on the first amount of capital and a number of structures included in the first set of structures.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating the first metric comprises:

determining a total amount of revenue generated by selling a first set of structures indicated in the first candidate design based on the first amount of revenue and a number of structures included in the first set of structures; and

subtracting a total cost of building the first set of structures from the total amount of revenue to generate a total profit earned by selling the first set of structures.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the second metric indicates a second amount of capital associated with developing the region of land according to the second candidate design.

10 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to generate designs for an urban design project with acceptable financial performance by performing the steps of:

generating, via a computer-aided design (CAD) application, first geometry associated with a first candidate design;

generating, via the CAD application, a first metric for the first candidate design based on a financial model, wherein the first metric indicates a first amount of revenue associated with developing a region of land according to the first candidate design, wherein the first amount of revenue is generated by selling a first structure indicated in the first candidate design;

determining that the first metric does not meet a design objective representing a financial objective associated with the financial model;

automatically modifying the first geometry based on the first metric to generate a second candidate design;

generating a second metric for the second candidate design based on the financial model; and

determining that the second metric meets the design objective; and

displaying the second metric to indicate a degree to which the second candidate design meets the financial objective.

11 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10 , wherein the first metric further indicates a first amount of capital associated with developing the region of land according to the first candidate design.

12 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11 , wherein the first amount of capital includes a first cost associated with building a first structure on the region of land.

13 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , wherein the first cost comprises at least one of a unit cost associated with the first structure, a linear unit cost associated with a portion of the first structure, or an area unit cost associated with the portion of the first structure.

14 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11 , wherein generating the first metric comprises determining a total cost associated with building a first set of structures on the region of land based on the first amount of capital and a number of structures included in the first set of structures.

15 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10 , wherein the design objective includes at least one of a maximum cost, a minimum revenue, and a minimum profit.

16 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11 , wherein the second metric indicates a second amount of capital associated with developing the region of land according to the second candidate design.

17 . A system, comprising:

one or more memories storing instructions; and

one or more processors that, when executing the instructions, are configured to generate designs for an urban design project with acceptable financial performance by performing the steps of:

generating, via a computer-aided design (CAD) application, first geometry associated with a first candidate design,

generating, via the CAD application, a first metric for the first candidate design based on a financial model, wherein the first metric indicates a first amount of revenue associated with developing a region of land according to the first candidate design, wherein the first amount of revenue is generated by selling a first structure indicated in the first candidate design,

determining that the first metric does not meet a design objective representing a financial objective associated with the financial model;

automatically generating a second candidate design based on one or more modifications to the first geometry;

generating a second metric for the second candidate design based on the financial model;

determining that the second metric meets the design objective; and

displaying the second metric to indicate a degree to which the second candidate design meets the financial objective.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein automatically generating the second candidate design comprises automatically modifying the first geometry to generate second geometry associated with the second candidate design.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 26, 2026
From: MCKENZIE, REMI; GYSBERS, ALEXANDRA; DOKTOR, ANDREW; GRIFFIN, PIETER; HENRETTA, SARAH; LYAUTEY, ISAAC P.; CHESNES, JACOB; KABES, JOSEPH WARREN; TRAN, KHANG
To: INCLUSIVITY, INC.
Reel/Frame 074998/0140 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2022
From: BENJAMIN, DAVID; STODDART, JAMES; VILLAGGI, LORENZO; NAGY, DANIL
To: AUTODESK, INC.
Reel/Frame 059257/0883 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16182557 · Nov 6, 2018
Provisional Application 62584711 · Nov 10, 2017
Related Publication 20220198087A1 · Jun 23, 2022
References Cited (120)
US 7164883B2 · Rappaport et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 9697326B1 · Bowman et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 10074145B2 · Budlong · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10255383B2 · Gavini et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10452790B2 · Kim et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10747913B2 · Iorio · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10885236B2 · Cheong et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11144681B2 · Benjamin et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11275872B2 · Benjamin et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11574093B2 · Hoyer et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 11593533B2 · Grossman et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20040143428A1 · Rappaport · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 20050108982A1 · Formisano · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20060294062A1 · Folchetti et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20100058268A1 · Fein et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20100106674A1 · McLean · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20100217565A1 · Wayne et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20110251934A1 · Satyavolu · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20120173209A1 · Krebs et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20120271784A1 · McLean et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20120330621A1 · Detwiler · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 20130132440A1 · Carlson et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140107851A1 · Yoon et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140278280A1 · Pardo-Fernandez · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140355463A1 · Smith et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150066442A1 · Pryor · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20190147116A1 · Benjamin et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190147117A1 · Benjamin et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190147118A1 · Benjamin et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190147119A1 · Benjamin et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190147120A1 · Benjamin et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190325086A1 · Grossman et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190347080A1 · Benjamin et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200013127A1 · Gozes et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200210533A1 · Markiz · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210150083A1 · Benjamin et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210150084A1 · Benjamin et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210150085A1 · Benjamin et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210241864A1 · Bhattacharya et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220198087A1 · Benjamin et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
CN 1381660A · 2002 [cited by examiner]
CN 2895621Y · 2007 [cited by applicant]
CN 100452071C · 2009 [cited by applicant]
CN 101782399A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
CN 101545321B · 2010 [cited by applicant]
CN 102368309A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
CN 102663800A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
CN 102750411A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
CN 103020741A · 2013 [cited by applicant]
CN 102521443B · 2013 [cited by applicant]
CN 104631243A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
CN 105205283A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
CN 105761192A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
CN 105825003A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
CN 105894553A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
CN 106251020A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
CN 106446000A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 106599332A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 106909986A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 106952330A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 107016221A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 107133900A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2012518838A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
KR 20110054221A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
KR 101173158B1 · 2012 [cited by examiner]
WO 0000919A1 · 2000 [cited by applicant]
WO 0057004A1 · 2000 [cited by applicant]
WO WO0167372A1 · 2001 [cited by examiner]
WO 2005069174A1 · 2005 [cited by applicant]
WO 2006088550A2 · 2006 [cited by applicant]
WO 2007073641A1 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
WO 2011035542A1 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
WO 2013161824A1 · 2013 [cited by applicant]
Shi et al., “A review of Simulation-Based Urban form Generation and Optimization for Energy-Driven Urban Design”, Building and Environment, vol. 121, May 9, 2017, pp. 119-129. [cited by applicant]
Yusuf, Syed Adnan, “An Evolutionary AI-Based Decision Support System for Urban Regeneration Planning”, URL: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/40034719.pdf, Chapters 5-7, Mar. 1, 2010, pp. 155-235. [cited by applicant]
Aliaga et al., “Interactive Example-Based Urban Layout Synthesis”, ACM Transactions on Graphics (TOG), ACM, US, vol. 27, No. 5, Article 160, Dec. 1, 2008, pp. 1-10. [cited by applicant]
Anonymous: “Grid plan—Wikipedia”, URL:https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grid plan&oldid=808141305, Nov. 1, 2017, pp. 1-19. [cited by applicant]
Wang et al., “Restructuring surface tessellation with irregular boundary conditions”, Frontiers of Architectural Research, vol. 3, No. 4, Dec. 1, 2014, pp. 337-347. [cited by applicant]
Vanegas et al., “Visualization of Simulated Urban Spaces: Inferring Parameterized Generation of Streets, Parcels, and Aerial Imagery”, IEEE, May 2009, pp. 424-435. [cited by applicant]
Hartmann et al., “Content-Aware Re-targeting of Discrete Element Layouts”, Hartmann, WSCG 2015, Conference on Computer Graphics, Visualization and Computer Vision, 2015, pp. 173-182. [cited by applicant]
Sosa et al., “Urban grid forms as a strategy for reducing heat island effects in arid cities”, Sustainable Cities and Society, Jul. 2017, pp. 547-556. [cited by applicant]
Lezama et al., “Vanishing Point Detection in Urban Scenes Using Point Alignments”, Image Processing on Line on Jul. 14, 2017, 2017, pp. 131-164. [cited by applicant]
Shen et al., “Urban function connectivity: Characterisation of functional urban streets with social media check-in data”, Jun. 2016, pp. 9-21. [cited by applicant]
Oshima et al., “Geometry reconstruction and mesh generation techniques for acoustic simulations over real-life urban areas using digital geographic information”, Acoust. Sci. & Tech. 35, 2014, pp. 108-118. [cited by applicant]
Martin et al., From solar constraints to urban design opportunities: Optimization of built form typologies in a Brazilian tropical city, pp. 43-56. [cited by applicant]
Parish et al., “Procedural Modeling of Cities”, ACM SIGGRAPH 001, pp. 301-308. [cited by applicant]
Ferreira et al., “Urbane: A 3D Framework to Support Data Driven Decision Making in Urban Development”, IEEE Conference on Visual Analytics Science and Technology 2015, pp. 97-104. [cited by applicant]
Gracik et al., “Effect of urban neighborhoods on the performance of building cooling Systems”, Stefan Gracik et al., Building and Environment, Mar. 2015, pp. 15-29. [cited by applicant]
Chang et al., “Legible Simplification of Textured Urban Models”, Remco Chang et al., IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 2008, pp. 27-36. [cited by applicant]
Sven Schneider: “Automatisierte Erzeugung raumlicher Konfigurationen in Architekturund Stadtebau auf Basis sichtbarkeitsbasierter Raumreprasentationen Dissertation”, May 31, 2016, pp. 105-169. [cited by applicant]
Urquizo et al., “Metrics of urban morphology and their impact on energy consumption: A case study in the United Kingdom”, Energy Research & Social Science, vol. 32, 2017, pp. 193-206. [cited by applicant]
Marler et al., “The weighted sum method for multi-objective optimization: new insights”, Struct Multidisc Optim, DOI 10.1007/s00158-009-0460-7, vol. 41, 2010, pp. 853-862. [cited by applicant]
ArcGIS—Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArcGIS, 2016, 9 pages. [cited by applicant]
Wikipedia,“ModeFrontier”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ModeFRONTIER, 2021, 1 page. [cited by applicant]
Esteco Technology,“Simulation Process Integration and Automation”, https://engineering.esteco.com/technology/simulation-process-integration-automation/, showing ModeFrontier being integrated with CAD Applications, 2021,… [cited by applicant]
Beiro, Jose Nuno., “Citymaker”, Designing grammars for urban design, ABE Archit. Built Environ. vol. 2, No. 5, Oct. 2012, 276 pages. [cited by applicant]
Non Final Office Action received for U.S. Appl. No. 17/343,566 dated May 2, 2023, 47 pages. [cited by applicant]
Non Final Office Action received for U.S. Appl. No. 17/342,309 dated May 1, 2023, 44 pages. [cited by applicant]
Non Final Office Action received for U.S. Appl. No. 17/531,622 dated May 19, 2023, 44 pages. [cited by applicant]
Final Office Action received for U.S. Appl. No. 16/184,972 dated Jan. 13, 2023, 29 pages. [cited by applicant]
Final Office Action received for U.S. Appl. No. 17/342,309 dated Dec. 13, 2023, 17 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance received for U.S. Appl. No. 17/343,566 dated Aug. 16, 2023, 15 pages. [cited by applicant]
Non Final Office Action received for U.S. Appl. No. 17/342,309 dated Aug. 25, 2023, 12 pages. [cited by applicant]
Final Office Action received for U.S. Appl. No. 17/531,622 dated Aug. 28, 2023, 14 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance received for U.S. Appl. No. 16/184,972 dated Aug. 29, 2023, 21 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance received for U.S. Appl. No. 16/184,974 dated Mar. 15, 2021, 24 pages. [cited by applicant]
Non Final Office action received for U.S. Appl. No. 16/184,975, dated Mar. 24, 2021, 35 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance received for U.S. Appl. No. 16/181,224 dated Mar. 3, 2021, 17 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance received for U.S. Appl. No. 16/184,974 dated Jun. 17, 2021, 21 pages. [cited by applicant]
Non Final Office action received for U.S. Appl. No. 16/184,972 dated May 27, 2021, 37 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance received for U.S. Appl. No. 16/181,224 dated Jun. 9, 2021, 17 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance received for U.S. Appl. No. 16/184,975, dated Jul. 16, 2021, 17 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance received for U.S. Appl. No. 16/182,557, dated Oct. 26, 2021, 28 pages. [cited by applicant]
Final Office Action received for U.S. Appl. No. 16/184,972 dated Dec. 2, 2021, 31 pages. [cited by applicant]
Non Final Office Action received for U.S. Appl. No. 16/184,972 dated Jun. 9, 2022, 35 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance received for U.S. Appl. No. 16/184,972 dated Dec. 1, 2023, 21 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance received for U.S. Appl. No. 17/531,622 dated Jan. 26, 2024, 21 pages. [cited by applicant]
Non Final Office Action received for U.S. Appl. No. 17/342,309 dated Mar. 28, 2024, 21 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance received for U.S. Appl. No. 16/184,972 dated Jul. 5, 2024, 14 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance received for U.S. Appl. No. 17/342,309 dated Jul. 19, 2024, 18 pages. [cited by applicant]