This course begins with an introduction to basic principles of computational urban design and city information modeling (CIM or City Information Modelling). The students will digitize urban spaces and physical urban environments to develop interactive virtual cities and architecture. Students are expected to work in a multidisciplinary environment. The purpose and goals are that through introductory lectures, laboratories and project work the students develop their skills to create and develop 3D interactive virtual city environments and contribute to the sustainable development of society.
DD2364 Interactive Visualisation of Virtual Urban Environments and Computational Urban Design 7.5 credits
Smart sustainability looks forward to achieving sustainability goals such as carbon neutrality, resource efficiency, and a circular economy, as well as social sustainability, with the help of disruptive digital technologies (ranging from the design of smart ecological urban districts to urban digital twins and sustainable smart-home applications).
To create urban digital twins and smart sustainability applications, knowledge, skills, and value-based competencies are required in the visualization of interactive, complex, real-time 3D urban environments. Through the development of interactive city visualizations, urban planners and architects could work with urban and sustainability challenges in ways that enable the design, simulation, and analysis of future smart and sustainable city scenarios.
With the availability of new tools for 3D modeling as well as visualization and interaction (e.g., Blender), 3D scene reconstruction software such as PhotoModeler, interaction software and video game design tools such as Unity3D, and consumer-grade equipment for Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and eXtended Reality (XR), new potentials emerge for interdisciplinary work that bridges computer science, information and game technology, sustainable cities, architecture, and urban development.
Visualizing cities has multiple applications, ranging from adapting digital urban twins to real-world urban challenges in urban development and architecture, to highly detailed digital reconstructions of urban spaces and physical city environments for video game applications.
Information per course offering
Information for Autumn 2026 Start 26 Oct 2026 programme students
- Course location
KTH Campus
- Duration
- 26 Oct 2026 - 11 Jan 2027
- Periods
Autumn 2026: P2 (7.5 hp)
- Pace of study
50%
- Application code
11548
- Form of study
Normal Daytime
- Language of instruction
English
- Course memo
- Course memo is not published
- Number of places
Min: 1
- Target group
- Open for all programmes from year 3, and for students admitted to a master's programme, as long as the course can be included in the programme.
- Planned modular schedule
- [object Object]
- Schedule
- Schedule is not published
Contact
Course syllabus as PDF
Please note: all information from the Course syllabus is available on this page in an accessible format.
Course syllabus DD2364 (Autumn 2026–)Headings with content from the Course syllabus DD2364 (Autumn 2026–) are denoted with an asterisk ( )
Content and learning outcomes
Course disposition
Course contents
Computational Urban Design: Introduction to computational urban design, computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D modelling (radiometry), urban morphology and morphological models of cities.
Computer Graphics: Interactive real-time computer graphics and game technology, including computer vision.
eXtended Reality: Introduction to AR, VR, MR and immersive environments.
Procedural Generation: Interactive visualisation and procedural generation of urban content.
Generative Design: Morphological generative frameworks, generative design and design of cities.
In-depth project in your own chosen area within computational urban design.
Intended learning outcomes
After passing the course, the student should be able to
- explain and describe theoretical foundations and practical computational methods for creating and visualising urban environments
- compare and select relevant software, hardware and computational methods for developing immersive interactive urban environments
- implement and evaluate interactive computational urban design using standard interactive software, such as Unity 3D
in order to be able to create immersive simulated urban experiences with advanced technologies that unite computer science and urban planning.
Literature and preparations
Specific prerequisites
Knowledge and skills in programming, 6 credits, equivalent to completed course DD1337/DD1310-DD1319/DD1321/DD1331/DD1333/DD100N/ID1018/ID1022.
Literature
You can find information about course literature either in the course memo for the course offering or in the course room in Canvas.
Examination and completion
Grading scale
A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
Examination
- LAB1 - Laboratory Work, 3.0 credits, grading scale: P, F
- PRO1 - Project Work, 1.5 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
- PRO2 - Project Work, 3.0 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability. The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students. If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.
Examiner
Ethical approach
- All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
- In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
- In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.
Further information
Course room in Canvas
Registered students find further information about the implementation of the course in the course room in Canvas. A link to the course room can be found under the tab Studies in the Personal menu at the start of the course.
Offered by
Main field of study
Computer Science and Engineering
Education cycle
Second cycle