Welcome to BlocksNet documentation!

BlocksNet is an open-source library that includes methods of modeling urbanized areas for the generation of value-oriented master planning requirements. The library provides tools for generating an information city model based on the accessibility of urban blocks. The library also provides tools for working with the information city model, which allows one: to assess urban network metrics such as connectivity and centrality, to calculate service type provision based on regulatory requirements and to obtain optimal requirements for master planning of territories.

Documentation:

• BlocksNet
  • Quickstart
  • Contributing
  • FAQ
• Examples
  • Pipeline
  • City blocks layer generating
  • Generating intermodal graph and calculating accessibility matrix
  • City initialization and methods
  • Methods
  • Cases
• API documentation
  • blocksnet.preprocessing
  • blocksnet.models
  • blocksnet.method
  • blocksnet.utils
• About us
  • Contacts
  • Publications

Features:

BlocksNet — a library for modeling urban development scenarios (e.g. creating a master plan), supporting the following tools:

• Method for generating a layer of urban blocks is the division of the territory into the smallest elements for the analysis of the urban area - blocks. The method of generating a layer of urban blocks is based on clustering algorithms taking into account additional data on land use.

• Intermodal graph generator and accessibility matrix calculator based on IduEdu library.

• The Universal Information City Model is used to further analyze urban areas and to obtain information on the accessibility of urban blocks. The City Model includes aggregated information on services and buildings, intermodal accessibility, service types hierarchy, and urban blocks.

• Method for accessing the connectivity of the blocks based on intermodal accessibility.

• Methods for assessing urban provision of different types of services with regard to normative requirements and value attitudes of the population. The estimation of provisioning is performed by iterative algorithm on graphs, as well as by solving linear optimization problem.

• Method for computing the function for evaluating the optimality of master planning projects based on the value attitudes of the population and systems of external limitations. The method is based on solving an optimization problem: it is necessary to find an optimal development to increase the provision. The problem is solved with the help of simulated annealing algorithm, user scenarios support is added.

• Method for identifying vacant areas based on open-data.

• Land use prediction based on services within blocks.

• Centrality and diversity assessments, spacematrix morphotypes identification method, integration metric assessment etc.

Main differences from existing solutions:

• The method of generating a layer of urban blocks considers the type of land use, which makes it possible to define limitations for the development of the territory in the context of master planning.

• The universal information city model can be built on open data; the smallest spatial unit for analysis is a block, which makes it possible to analyze on a city scale.

• Provision assessment takes into account the competition element created between residents and services.

• Services optimization algorithm based on simulated annealing supports user-defined scenarios.

• Support for different regulatory requirements.

• Pretty easy to use out of the box. The library is aimed to help students, so it balances between being friendly to non-programmers as well as useful and respective for advanced possible users and contributors.

Acknowledgements

The library was developed as the main part of the ITMO University project #622280 “Machine learning algorithms library for the tasks of generating value-oriented requirements for urban areas master planning”