CityCAD in Neighbourhood Planning

CityCAD in Neighbourhood Planning Project Images

Our CityCAD software was used to support the Grovehill Future community group in Hemel Hempstead by testing development options for a local centre at a collaborative design workshop.

CityCAD was used to build an information-rich model of Henry Wells Square, a busy and well-used neighbourhood centre. This contained a conceptual 3D model of the area, but also data on dwellings sizes, population rates, values and construction costs. The model was projected on a wall, and different options were tested on screen, with analysis of quantities immediately available.

The software helped the group to visualize proposals in 3D, and informed discussion on a range of topics relevant to the group’s neighbourhood plan:

  • Is the overall quantity of development right?
  • If there is going to be redevelopment, how should it be phased and what part should be built first?
  • Where should a new community centre go?
  • Should buildings be restricted to 3 storeys as previously agreed? What difference would it make to viability if the buildings were permitted to be 4 storeys?
  • What will the new public square look like?
  • How many parking spaces will be needed, and can they be shared between flats and shops at different times of day?