UrbanAna Quick Start: Getting Started with Urban Design Software

Quickly start with UrbanAna. Learn to draw streets, create blocks, generate buildings, and analyze metrics efficiently with real-time updates.

Knowledge Base

Step 1 – Start UrbanAna

Once UrbanAna is installed, you can start it in two ways:

1. Click the blue icon in the UrbanAna Toolbar that appears after installation (Figure 1).

UrbanAna toolbar icon and location in SketchUp interface

UrbanAna Toolbar – Quick access to start the urban design plugin

💡 *If toolbar is not visible, you can open it via SketchUp menu View → Toolbars → UrbanAna.*

How to show UrbanAna toolbar in SketchUp menu

Steps to show UrbanAna toolbar through SketchUp View menu

2. Navigate through SketchUp menu: Tools → UrbanAna → Start UrbanAna (Figure 3.02).

Alternative method to launch UrbanAna through SketchUp Tools menu

Starting UrbanAna from SketchUp Tools menu

Step 2 – Start UrbanAna model and setting the unit

After initialization, access Settings to configure Language and Units (meters or feet).

UrbanAna settings panel for language and measurement units configuration

Setting up language preferences and measurement units in UrbanAna

Step 3 – Draw Streets

Urban street network creation tools and controls in UrbanAna

Street drawing tools and controls for urban planning

Use the “Street Tools” button in the toolbar to draw streets. Basic controls:

  • Click in the viewport to start drawing
  • Continue clicking to add street segments
  • Hold and drag to create curved streets
  • Alt key for Curve tool
  • Ctrl key to move street nodes and segments

For detailed information about all street features and tools, see 5.3 Street.

Step 4 – Create Block

Urban block creation from street networks in UrbanAna

Creating urban blocks from street loop

Click the “Block Tools” button in toolbar to create block formed by the closed street loop.

In UrbanAna, Blocks are created in two ways:

  1. Automatic Block Creation: Click Block Tools without selecting faces to analyze the street network and create blocks from closed loops intersecting streets.
  2. Manual Block Creation: Select faces and click Block Tools to convert them into blocks.

For more information about Block tools, see 5.4 Block.

Step 5 – Generate Buildings

Automated building generation within urban blocks using UrbanAna

Generating buildings automatically within defined blocks

Use the “Generate Buildings” button to create buildings within a block using default parameters.

For more information about Block Generate Buildings, see 5.4 Block.

💡 Tip: You can Pin urban metrics in the Report tab for quick, real-time access in the SketchUp viewport.

Step 6 – Create/ Place custom Buildings, Edit Buildings

Building creation and editing tools in UrbanAna

Tools for creating and modifying buildings in urban design

You can work with buildings in three ways:

  1. Place a new building: Click “Building Tools” without selection to place a building using default parameters.
  2. Create Buildings from Faces: Select faces before clicking Building Tools to convert them into buildings.
  3. Edit Buildings: Select building before clicking Building Tools to modify its ground floor shape.

For more information about Buildings, see 5.5 Building.

Step 7 – Changing Parameters

Building parameter adjustment interface in UrbanAna

Customizing building parameters for urban design optimization

Access the Parameters panel to modify building parameters like land use, height, building footprint,… to meet your design requirements. Parameters can be adjusted at the Project, Block, or Building level to achieve your desired urban form and density targets.
For more information about Land use and its calculation, see 5.6 Land Use.

Step 8 – Check the Report

Urban metrics and analytics report dashboard in UrbanAna

Comprehensive urban planning metrics and analysis report

Access the Report tab in the Parameters panel to view comprehensive metrics for your project. The report provides real-time calculations of key urban planning metrics including:

  • Gross Floor Area (GFA)
  • Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
  • Building Coverage Ratio (BCR)
  • Required Parking Spaces
  • Population Statistics

The report updates automatically as you make changes to your model, allowing you to instantly see how design decisions impact important urban metrics. You can also export these reports for documentation purposes.

For detailed information about urban report metrics and features, see 5.7 Report.

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