Application of AI in Urban Design Education
A Case Study of Master Studio
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.9744/dimensi.53.1.62-80Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence, urban design, sustainability design, master studioAbstract
This paper explores the transformative potential of AI in urban design studios through a case study where 28 master's students were tasked with simulating an urban design plan for Nusantara - Indonesia's new capital city. The studio was designed to allow students to engage with each phase of the urban design process using manual techniques, AI-driven tools, or a combination of both, creating a comparative framework to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of AI in each stage. The goal of this research is to investigate how AI-augmented instruments are being used in educational settings, particularly in creative design courses, and to assess the potential advancements that these tools may offer to the subject. The research further intends to analyse how AI tools affect students' design thinking and technical abilities, leading to strategic recommendations for successfully incorporating these technologies into design education while keep adhering to the ethical guidelines in academic works.
Downloads
References
Almaz, A. H., El-Agouz, E. A. E., Abdelfatah, M. T., & Mohamed, I. (2024). The Future Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Design’s Integration into Architectural and Interior Design Education is to Improve Efficiency, Sustainability, and Creativity. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 12(3), 1749. https://doi.org/10.13189/cea.2024.120336
Alshahrani A and Mostafa AM (2025) Enhancing the use of artificial intelligence in architectural education – case study Saudi Arabia. Front. Built Environ. 11:1610709. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2025.1610709
Al-Zahrani, A. M. (2024). Unveiling the shadows: Beyond the hype of AI in education. Heliyon, 10(9). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30696
Asfour, O. S. (2024). How Artificial Intelligence Could Affect the Future of Architectural Design Education. Resourceedings, 4(2), 1. https://doi.org/10.21625/resourceedings.v4i2.1113
Bibri, S. E., Huang, J., Jagatheesaperumal, S. K., & Krogstie, J. (2024). The synergistic interplay of artificial intelligence and digital twin in environmentally planning sustainable smart cities: A comprehensive systematic review. Environmental Science and Ecotechnology, 20, 100433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2024.100433
Casakin, H. (2018). The Use of Patterns as an Urban Design Approach. Urban Science, 2(4), 101. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci2040101
Chan, C. K. Y. (2023). A comprehensive AI policy education framework for university teaching and learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00408-3
Chen, J.-F., Ni, C.-C., Lin, P.-H., & Lin, R. (2024). Designing the Future: A Case Study on Human-AI Co-Innovation. Creative Education, 15(3), 474. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2024.153028
Cina, E., Elbaşi, E., Elmazi, G., & Al-Arnaout, Z. (2025). The Role of AI in Predictive Modelling for Sustainable Urban Development: Challenges and Opportunities. Sustainability, 17(11), 5148. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17115148
Delello, J. A., Sung, W., Mokhtari, K., Hebert, J., Bronson, A., & Giuseppe, T. D. (2025). AI in the Classroom: Insights from Educators on Usage, Challenges, and Mental Health. Education Sciences, 15(2), 113. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15020113
Fang, Y.-M. (2024). The role of generative AI in industrial design: enhancing the design process and education. IET Conference Proceedings, 2023(45), 135. https://doi.org/10.1049/icp.2024.0303
Fareed, M. W., Nassif, A. B., & Nofal, E. (2024). Exploring the Potentials of Artificial Intelligence Image Generators for Educating the History of Architecture. Heritage, 7(3), 1727. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7030081
Gentile, M., Città, G., Perna, S., & Allegra, M. (2023). Do we still need teachers? Navigating the paradigm shift of the teacher’s role in the AI era. Frontiers in Education, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1161777
Jiang, M. (2020). Urban Planning Reform Trend Based on Artificial Intelligence. Journal of Physics Conference Series, 1533(3), 32020. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1533/3/032020
Jin, S., Tu, H., Li, J., Fang, Y., Zhang, Q., Xu, F., Liu, K., & Lin, Y. (2024). Enhancing Architectural Education through Artificial Intelligence: A Case Study of an AI-Assisted Architectural Programming and Design Course. Buildings, 14(6), 1613. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061613
Jin, X., Evans, M., Dong, H., & Yao, A. (2021). Design Heuristics for Artificial Intelligence: Inspirational Design Stimuli for Supporting UX Designers in Generating AI-Powered Ideas. 15, 1. https://doi.org/10.1145/3411763.3451727
Kapsalis, T. (2024). UrbanGenAI: Reconstructing Urban Landscapes using Panoptic Segmentation and Diffusion Models. arXiv (Cornell University). https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2401.14379
Katsamakas, E., Pavlov, O. V., & Saklad, R. (2024). Artificial intelligence and the transformation of higher education institutions: A systems approach. Sustainability, 16(14), 6118 https://doi.org/10.3390/su16146118
Ko, J., Ajibefun, J., & Yan, W. (2023). Experiments on Generative AI-Powered Parametric Modeling and BIM for Architectural Design. arXiv (Cornell University). https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2308.00227
Kurniawan, A. V.C Saragih, A. Wiranti, D. Rahmadi, & H.W. Poerbo. (2024). Revealing the Future of Urban Design: Exploring Human and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration in Planning and Design for the Sustainable Built Environment. IOP Conf Series: Earth Environ. Sci 1394 012032
Li, Y. (2024). Advancing Design With Generative AI: A Case of Automotive Design Process Transformation. Proceedings of DRS. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.1260
Liao, J., Hansen, P., & Chai, C. (2020). A framework of artificial intelligence augmented design support. Human-Computer Interaction, 35, 511. https://doi.org/10.1080/07370024.2020.1733576
Lubbe, A., Marais, E., & Kruger, D. (2025). Cultivating independent thinkers: The triad of artificial intelligence, Bloom’s taxonomy and critical thinking in assessment pedagogy. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13476-x
Naik, S., Shukla, P., Obi, I., Backus, J. K., Rasche, N., & Parsons, P. (2025). Tracing the Invisible: Understanding Students’ Judgment in AI-Supported Design Work. 438. https://doi.org/10.1145/3698061.3734399
Nguyen, V. (2025). The Use of Generative AI Tools in Higher Education: Ethical and Pedagogical Principles. Journal of Academic Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-025-09607-1
Plathottam, S. J., Rzonca, A., Lakhnori, R., & Iloeje, C. O. (2023). A review of artificial intelligence applications in manufacturing operations [Review of A review of artificial intelligence applications in manufacturing operations]. Journal of Advanced Manufacturing and Processing, 5(3). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/amp2.10159
Rane, N., Choudhary, S., & Rane, J. (2023). Leading-edge technologies for architectural design: a comprehensive review [Review of Leading-edge technologies for architectural design: a comprehensive review]. SSRN Electronic Journal. RELX Group (Netherlands). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4637891
Sabono, Fedy. (2025). A Review: Exploring AI’s Role in Architecture: Redefining New Design Interaction. DIMENSI: Journal of Architecture and Built Environment, 52. https://doi.org/10.9744/dimensi.52.1.27-43
Sanchez, T. W., Brenman, M., & Ye, X. (2024). The Ethical Concerns of Artificial Intelligence in Urban Planning. Journal of the American Planning Association, 1. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2024.2355305
Tanjga, M. (2023). E-learning and the Use of AI: A Review of Current Practices and Future Directions [Review of E-learning and the Use of AI: A Review of Current Practices and Future Directions]. https://doi.org/10.32388/ap0208
Vieriu, A. M., & Petrea, G. (2025). The Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Students’ Academic Development. Education Sciences, 15(3), 343. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15030343
Wan, T., & Ma, Y. (2022). Urban Planning and Design Layout Generation Based on Artificial Intelligence. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2022, 1. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/8976943
Ward, B., Bhati, D., Neha, F., & Guercio, A. (2024). Analyzing the Impact of AI Tools on Student Study Habits and Academic Performance. arXiv (Cornell University). https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2412.02166
Xu, C. Q., & Huang, Y. (2024). Technological Innovation in Architectural Design Education: Empirical Analysis and Future Directions of Midjourney Intelligent Drawing Software. Buildings, 14(10), 3288. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14103288
Yu, W. F. (2025). AI as a co-creator and a design material: Transforming the design process. Design Studies, 97, 101303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2025.101303
Zailuddin, M. F. N. O., Harun, N. A. N., Rahim, H. A. A., Kamaruzaman, A. F., Berahim, M. H., Harun, M. H., & Ibrahim, Y. (2024). Redefining creative education: a case study analysis of AI in design courses. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, 17(2), 282. https://doi.org/10.1108/jrit-01-2024-0019
Zhang, F. (2022). Design and Implementation of Industrial Design and Transformation System Based on Artificial Intelligence Technology. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2022, 1. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9342691
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
