(1) Background: Public sidewalk GIS data are essential for smart city development. We developed an automated street-level sidewalk detection method with image-processing Google Street View data. (2) Methods: Street view images were processed to produce graph-based segmentations. Image segment regions were manually labeled and a random forest classifier was established. We used multiple aggregation steps to determine street-level sidewalk presence. (3) Results: In total, 2438 GSV street images and 78,255 segmented image regions were examined. The image-level sidewalk classifier had an 87% accuracy rate. The street-level sidewalk classifier performed with nearly 95% accuracy in most streets in the study area. (4) Conclusions: Highly accurate street-level sidewalk GIS data can be successfully developed using street view images.

With recent breakthroughs in VR devices, new potential of CAD as a design tool is anticipated. Based on the influence of design tools in ideation, we compared the problem-solving styles of WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointer) and VRE (Virtual Reality Environment) for an apartment flat design task. Function-Behaviour-Structure ontology analysis revealed that WIMP was problem-driven with clear divisions between problem analysis and solution building, while VRE was predominantly solution-driven with frequent modifications of solutions. Such procedural characteristics led to uneven outcomes wherein spatial efficiency was better in WIMP while arrangement was more diversified in VRE. When the key factor was high manipulability of user interface in VRE, the result suggests that higher usability does not always produce desired outcomes. Time for problem analysis and a match between the tool and given problem must be taken into account.

Color design has long benefited from the statistical analysis of public taste and, more recently, from crowdsourcing to discover fresh and popular ideas. However, the current color dictionary is considerably restricted in terms of the scope of expressible design concepts and the control of target demographics. We propose a search-engine-based color palette generator inspired by Natural Language Processing algorithms that filter and cluster semantically related words. The post-evaluation reveals that our results not only faithfully realize the given keywords but are notable indicators of inter-group dynamics; the differential recognition of the other group's identity colors reflects the direction of historic, geographic, or cultural influence.

With the growing complexity of design technology and the emergence of intelligent design assistance, architectural studio classes are facing a new pedagogical paradigm. The digital literacy of younger generations and availability of scientific simulation have the potential to transform the traditional master–apprentice model. In our experiment, we had students perform a museum layout task and observed their behaviors from three perspectives: (1) how students utilize an assistance tool and whether we can group their behavior, (2) how the new simulation-aided design process is different from a traditional one, particularly in terms of the evolution of solution over iteration, and (3) whether students' behavior is affected by the type of design problem given. Protocol analysis on design processes and interviews revealed that individual’s characteristic design processes in terms of iteration ranged from distinct iterations guided by simulation to monotonous progress with little simulation. When comparing between an instructor and software, it was not the given environment but the designer’s subjectivity that determined their attitudes toward either type of feedback. Lastly, the challenge of integrating design concepts with performance requirements stemmed from a misalignment between their true evaluative measures. We propose that a versatile design platform implement real-time, non-intrusive mechanisms for performance reporting and solution branching, and include social and psychological measures as well as physical ones in order to expand designers’ concept choices.