The Role of Swarm Intelligence Systems in Shaping Urban Development Policies

Sabaa Mujtaba Abdulwahid, Engineering Technical College of Basrah, Southern Technical University, Basrah, Iraq.Follow
Wahda Shuker Al-Hinkawi, Department of Architectural Engineering, University of Technology - Iraq, Baghdad, IraqFollow
Nada Abdulmueen Hasan, Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.Follow

Keywords

Swarm Intelligence (SI), Multi-Agent Systems (MAS), Complex Adaptive Urban Systems (CAS), Urban development strategy, Urban growth, Parametric and Generative Design

Document Type

Original Study

Abstract

Swarm intelligence is a nature-inspired complex system that draws from the behaviours of social creatures such as ants and birds. This system functions through simple behavioural rules enacted by autonomous, intelligent agents. Existing literature indicates that swarm intelligence possesses a wide range of principles and characteristics derived from the theories of Biomimicry, complex adaptive systems, and parametric and generative design. While the previous studies have intensively addressed the computational aspects of intelligence, a comprehensive conceptual framework is essential for analysing complex urban forms and structures. Therefore, this research develops and applies a conceptual model of swarm intelligence by examining several projects across the following dimensions: growth strategies, mechanisms, and logic; primary and final characteristics; and the types and classifications of the system’s agents. The research emphasises the integration of theoretical and practical aspects of swarm intelligence to inform urban growth policies and promote more sustainable urban forms and structures.

Recommended Citation

Abdulwahid, Sabaa Mujtaba; Al-Hinkawi, Wahda Shuker; and Hasan, Nada Abdulmueen (2025) "The Role of Swarm Intelligence Systems in Shaping Urban Development Policies," Iraqi Journal of Architecture and Planning: Vol. 24: Iss. 1, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36041/iqjap.2024.152485.1106