Computer vision applications for urban planning: A systematic review of opportunities and constraints

Computer vision (CV) technology, a key subset of artificial intelligence, provides powerful tools for extracting valuable insights from visual data, which is a crucial component for the urban planning process. Despite the promising potential of CV in urban planning, its applications in this context have not been thoroughly examined. This lack of scholarship represents a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of the role of CV in urban planning. This paper aims to provide a consolidated understanding in CV applications in the urban planning process and challenges urban planners face during the adoption of CV. The paper conducts a systematic literature review to tackle the questions of how is CV applied in the urban planning process, and what are the challenges in adopting CV techniques and tools for the urban planning process? The findings revealed: (a) CV could support a broad range of urban planning tasks including data collection and analysis, issue identification and prioritisation, public participation, plan design and adoption, and implementation and evaluation; (b) CV could improve decision-making through various visual information, but its limitations need to be considered, and; (c) Utilisation of CV for urban planning could support the efforts in sustainable urban development. This study informs urban policy- and plan-making circles by providing insights into the existing and prospective contributions of CV in the planning process, how CV transforms and augments planning practices, and elaborates the challenges and limitations of CV adoption.