Parametric evaluation of urban compactness in Brazil

This paper presents an application of parametric techniques and tools to assess urban compactness in the city of Juiz de Fora, Brazil. A literature review identifies the objective metrics' role in urban design and how they are associated with the urban compactness paradigm. The case study provided results that characterize aspects of the built urban density and the mix of uses in the samples, exploring how parametric resources can help urban design. This research shed some light on how metrics can assist parametric urban design allowing performance measurement in the early design stages. It also highlights potentials, future studies, and challenges, establishing discussions about developing this field of knowledge in Brazil and even in Latin America.