Data innovation and improved insights to deliver sustainable places

A report (the PlaceTech Innovation Lab) demonstrating the innovative use of data to support improved placemaking, has been published today (27 November 2024) by infrastructure body, the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) in partnership with Scottish Government and infrastructure consultancy Ramboll, with support from Architecture and Design Scotland. 

The ‘PlaceTech Innovation Lab’ initiative aims to provide expertise and leadership in the innovative use of data such as geographic information systems, 3D visualisation techniques, digital twins and artificial intelligence to answer place-based infrastructure challenges. 

Over the past 12 months, the PlaceTech Innovation Lab was implemented across three public sector pilot projects looking at how decisions within planning and place-making can be improved, specifically looking at:

• Improving Glasgow City Council’s City Centre Strategy through digital tools
• Enhancing Perth & Kinross Council’s Cultural Quarter with digital solutions, and
• Developing a digital model to assess the impact of infrastructure investments for Comhairle nan Eilan Siar (Western Isles Council).

The outputs from using the technology included:

• A digital twin of Glasgow was built to better understand future population growth in the city centre and its impact on social infrastructure capacities to help with improved placemaking;
• Perth & Kinross Council used the insights from various data sources to develop a strategic town centre investment plan in response to increased visitors to the newly opened Perth Museum to influence future public transport and active travel improvements, and 
• Western Isles used existing construction pipeline data to support its management of existing infrastructure that will support the delivery of offshore renewables, onshore renewables and port improvements.

Paul Dodd, Senior Associate Director at the Scottish Future Trust and who heads up SFT’s Infrastructure Technology workstream said: “In the current environment of increasing budgetary pressures, the decisions we make today will be crucial to achieving of our net zero targets. The ability to use data in innovative ways will provide increased capability and enhanced insights to improve how we plan, deliver and invest in our places.”

Amanda Chan, Digital Urbanism Lead from the Regenerative Cities team at Ramboll said “Climate change and better placemaking is not a data problem, it is a decision-making and financial problem. Our cities and places work as a cohesive holistic system, yet data are often treated in silos. As demonstrated from the pilot projects, technologies allow users to efficiently draw insights from data, testing future scenarios and making more informed decisions in planning and place-making.”

Ian Gilzean, Head of Innovation and Digital Place at Architecture and Design Scotland, said: “The innovative use of data analytics and digital technology was an important feature of the PlaceTech pilot projects which we can learn from. The pilot projects also demonstrate the benefits of taking a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach to address complex challenges, focusing on placemaking and design.”

Header image credited to Ramboll

The Scottish Futures Trust

Established by Scottish Government as a centre of infrastructure expertise, the Scottish Futures Trust provides an active leadership role across major public sector infrastructure programmes, bringing its unique mix of skills, experience, resource and knowledge to bear to deliver improved infrastructure outcomes across Scotland.

Architecture and Design Scotland 

Architecture and Design Scotland is Scotland’s national champion for the design of the built environment. As a public body, we support those who plan, fund and use Scotland’s buildings and places. As Scotland’s design champion, we use our expertise and networks to promote the value of good architecture and design in providing people-centred, climate-conscious advice on buildings, spaces and places in Scotland.

Ramboll

Ramboll is a foundation-owned multidisciplinary company specialising in built-environment engineering, design, and consultancy services. It combines a global knowledge base with local expertise. Within Ramboll, this project has been a collaborative endeavour, led by the UK’s Regenerative Cities team, with Digitalisation and Strategic Sustainability Consulting.