An Integrated Platform for Design and Simulation of Sustainable Developments for

a Peri-Urban Context

Meenakshi Arora, Tuan Ngo, Lu Aye, Hector Malano, Oliver LadeDepartment of Infrastructure Engineering, Melbourne School of Engineering

The University of Melbourne

Challenges

• The size and scale of the contemporary metropolitan area is without precedent in the history of cities.

• Peri-urban has become an amorphous, continuous, seemingly boundless middle-landscape.

• Low densities, mono-functional, little to no public amenities or infrastructure, and consequently, an environment dominated by the vehicles and the road networks.

• Outer suburbs have generally been developed and continue to be developed, to be dominated by the need to accommodate the private vehicle.

• Typical middle and outer suburban development in Melbourne (and other cities) is not sustainable.

Peri-Urban Developments

What would a Zero CO2 emission precinct look like?

What do we need to know?

What is the optimum mix of low-rise, medium rise and high-rise and their typologies?

Building Typology

Water Balance

What is the benefit of hybrid water supply systems in terms of energy usage, resource consumption, water supply augmentation, stormwater infrastructure requirements and stormwater quality, compared with desalination?

Transport

• What is the total vehicle kilometres (vkm / annum)?

• What are the % breakdown of private transport, public transport and commercial freight?

• How to quantify the change in passenger kilometres and modal shifts by comparing proposed options with conventional design?

Energy What is the benefit of passive solar design in medium density housing

developments, including interactions between buildings?

Economics• Cost-Benefit Analysis indicators?

• Break even analysis and return on investment?

• Comparative analyses and sensitivity analyses of different sustainable options?

• Input/output value analysis and efficiency ranking studies?

• Housing affordability?

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MUtopia

• A design tool with integrated visualisation and simulation platform. • Displays in 3-D the actual appearance of an urban development

and quantifies the performance of key sustainability metrics at different scales.

• Enables the assessment of the viability of introducing sustainability best practice such as water efficiency, energy efficiency, dwelling and transportation design, construction and maintenance, and waste management.

• The platform enables– The Integrated assessment of environmental, economic and social

indicators within a single platform.– Urban planners, designers and developers to comprehensively test

sustainable innovative concepts, tools and processes in a single virtual environment.

– Monitoring of the sustainability of a site once built

MUtopia Architecture

MUtopia Domains

Energy Water Waste Transport

3D Spatial Platform Integrated Urban Infrastructure Modelling

GHG Emissions

Water Consumption

Travel Time

WasteGeneration

Life Cycle Costing

Social

Liveability

Economic

Social + Sustainable Design / Renewable Energy OptionsScenario Planning and Testing

MUtopia Rating ToolsGreen Star Communities, OnePlanet

MUtopia Carbon Accounting Monitoring Tool

• Open architecture, scalable and adaptable, cloud-based

• Integrated GIS + BIM using Precinct Information Model (PIM)

• Advanced visualisation capabilities

• Predictive modelling capabilities, what-if scenario simulation

• Multi-user architecture, collaborative design & simulation platform

• Public engagement capabilities via a web portal for community consultation

GIS +

Key Features of MUtopia Platform

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Platform Development

Specifications for MUtopia Platform

Who are the users? What are their requirements?

Land Agencies

Public Community

Developers

Architects / Urban Planners

Engineering Consultants

User requirements

Platform Development Process

Platform testing and evaluation

Platform testing and evaluation

Case Study – West Cranbourne

Developer: The Natural Resources Conservation League (NRCL)

Case Study –Cranbourne West

Economic 1. Optimise economic returns to enable future conservation projects to be undertaken by the NRCL and to ensure the legacy and history of the organisation are protected.

Urban Design 2. Create a demonstration site that will provide leadership in urban design and a viable and influential model of outer urban development.

Environmental

3. Enhance regional flora and fauna including the creation of a node to complement biolinks projects radiating from the NRCL property (particularly the link to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne).

(Future) Governance

4. Create governance arrangements designed to promote a low footprint community.

Strategic Objectives

MUtopia and One Planet Living

Rating Tool

Energy

Water

Waste

Transport

Food

Health

Social

Materials

Livability

Scenarios

• Zero Carbon Homes• One Planet Community• One Planet Community plus Engagement • One Planet Community plus Local Council

MUtopia for NRCL Cranbourne Project

MUtopia Transport Simulation

MUtopia Water Simulation

MUtopia Waste Simulation

Testing Different Scenarios

Scenario Zero Carbon Homes

(Sustainable materials)

One Planet Community

(10 principles)

OPC Plus Engagement

(includes public awareness)

OPC Plus

Local Council

Housing 84% 84% 89% 93%

Transport - 38% 72% 89%

Food - 32% 68% 80%

Consumer goods - 25% 57%57%

Private services - 10% 40% 55%

Government - 10% 30% 83%

Capital assets - 10% 31% 68%

Total emissions saving

10% 30% 55%76%

Testing Different Scenarios

Australia Zero Carbon One Planet Community - Standard Res-

ident

One Planet Community - Plus

Engagement

One Planet Community - Plus

Local Council

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

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NRCL Indicative Scenarios

Capital Investment & Other

Government

Private Services

Consumer Goods

Food

Transport

Housing

Ecol

ogic

al F

ootp

rint

per

cap

ita

(gha

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MUtopia

Lu Aye 23 of 12

QUESTIONS

Why MUtopia ?

City

Precinct

What-if scenarios? Assessment?

Rating, Monitoring?

Energy, Water, Transport, Waste?

Liveability?

Cost Benefit Analysis?

BuildingBrownfields &

Grayfields

for Greenfields