Tools and platforms to explore.
As technology continues to evolve, there are several tools and platforms that planners might find beneficial to explore.
These include 3D modelling and visualization software, geographic information systems (GIS), collaborative planning platforms, augmented and virtual reality tools, and artificial intelligence and machine learning applications.
These tools can help planners better analyse and understand complex data, visualise designs and plans in more detail, facilitate collaboration with stakeholders, and even automate certain planning processes.
We’ve highlighted a few tools and platforms below that have been discussed either in popular media or in planning circles. It's worth noting that while we encourage exploration, we don't specifically endorse any one tool.
ChatGPT is an advanced artificial intelligence language model developed by OpenAI.
Trained on a massive corpus of text data, ChatGPT has the ability to generate human-like responses to a wide variety of questions and prompts. It is capable of understanding context, learning new concepts, and generating text that is often indistinguishable from that written by a human.
With its vast knowledge base and sophisticated language processing capabilities, ChatGPT and the GPT technology behind it has the potential to transform a wide range of fields, from customer service to education to healthcare. As AI technology continues to evolve, ChatGPT will likely become even more powerful and versatile, opening up new possibilities for how we interact with computers and machines. For example, in just 2023, we have seen the model expand to become multi-modal, including being able to ‘read’ and interpret images, process complex data and run code, speak in a human voice, and generate images that are realistic and can contain legible text.
ChatGPT can quickly and accurately summarise large volumes of data, making it easier for planners to identify patterns, trends, and insights that can inform their decision-making.
ChatGPT has the potential to help planners streamline planning processes, which can ultimately lead to improved outcomes for communities, and allow for more time to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing cities today.
It is free to make an account, and currently costs US$20 per month for a ChatGPT Plus account, which gives access to their latest tools and model.
Midjourney is an artificial intelligence program that generates images from natural language descriptions, called prompts.
It is created by a San Francisco-based independent research lab of the same name, which aims to explore new mediums of thought and expand the imaginative powers of the human species.
In the words of its founder, “we just want it to be easy to use – and we want the pictures to look good.”
Midjourney is currently only accessible through a Discord bot on their official Discord server or by direct messaging the bot, though they are working on a dedicated platform.
Users can create artwork with Midjourney by typing in a prompt and choosing from a set of four images that the bot returns.
Rico is an Auckland-grown web app that helps planners evaluate compliance with rules and regulations under the Auckland Unitary Plan and some National Environmental Standards.
From there, the tool helps to streamline preparation of Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE) reports.
The Rico platform is currently being expanded to assist local government authorities with streamlining consent assessment and reporting, starting with a number of councils on South Island.
We encourage planners to explore new tools to support their planning work and to share their experiences with PlanTechNZ. A reminder to also ensure you follow safe practices to address privacy, confidentiality and ethical issues.
