AI in design practice: productive integration with urban design workflow

The growing influence of AI in urban design, paired with rising expectations around speed and cost, raises critical questions about the design process. Generative AI offers new creative and analytical capabilities, but often lack transparency or contextual sensitivity, risking outcomes that are visually compelling yet impractical or ungrounded. Drawing on Arup’s internal research, live projects, and academic partnerships, this paper explores how AI is reshaping urban design workflows – and where human judgement remains essential. It argues for thoughtful use: preserving core design values while using AI to question and refine briefs and catalyse technical exploration.