Which are the underlying rules that govern urban growth and the structure
of the street network? Which are the distinctive characteristics that define
highways and the differentiation of the various street patterns? How can we
combine the above information and incorporate them in a computer aided urban
simulation in order to successfully model a virtual city in which people will be able
to successfully orientate and navigate?
This research aims to address and investigate the above issues and
proposes the development of a parametrically adjustable computer program in
order to conduct navigational and way-finding experiments. Virtual Urbanity is a
simulation engine which is capable of procedurally generating a vast and diverse
variety of virtual 3D urban configurations. It uses an operational grammar which
consists of a local generative process which is based on a Lindenmayer system,
and a prescriptive set of global parametric rules. This combination defines the
topology, the geometry, the width, the length, the density and the spatial
significance of the streets, ultimately setting an effective street hierarchy.
The program engages in the methodological exploration of existing and
theoretical urban configurations and the analysis of the human perception about
the structure of the built environment, and builds towards a working algorithm
(rule-set) for the on the fly generation of city structures in the next generation
video games. In accordance, a trial experiment regarding the mental correlations
of the roads’ width and their hierarchical significance and function within the
street network was conducted and its findings were discussed
