From Data to Informed Design: Unlocking GIS-Powered Urban Design with Forma Plus Esri | AU 2025
The future of sustainable, equitable urban design hinges on access to actionable data at the earliest design stages. This session will explore the ongoing strategic alliance between Autodesk and Esri, with an exclusive look at the new Forma extension for ArcGIS that integrates deep geographic information system (GIS) insights directly into design workflows. You’ll hear from Lake Flato Architects’ Urban Planning Studio, the Forma team, and Esri’s Professional Services about how the Forma real-time simulation and massing tools, combined with robust GIS layers—from flood risk and green infrastructure to demographic and zoning data—can empower planning decisions that balance ecology, equity, and economy. Through real-world examples and a forward-looking road map, we’ll show how GIS-driven design accelerates collaboration and unlocks transformational outcomes for communities.
The future of sustainable, equitable urban design hinges on access to actionable data at the earliest design stages. This session will explore the ongoing strategic alliance between Autodesk and Esri, with an exclusive look at the new Forma extension for ArcGIS that integrates deep geographic information system (GIS) insights directly into design workflows. You’ll hear from Lake Flato Architects’ Urban Planning Studio, the Forma team, and Esri’s Professional Services about how the Forma real-time simulation and massing tools, combined with robust GIS layers—from flood risk and green infrastructure to demographic and zoning data—can empower planning decisions that balance ecology, equity, and economy. Through real-world examples and a forward-looking road map, we’ll show how GIS-driven design accelerates collaboration and unlocks transformational outcomes for communities.