Empower communities: Integrating scientific and stakeholder-based knowledge to simulate future urban growth scenarios using advanced technology for built-form simulation

This study investigates the possibility of equipping communities with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to speed up the implementation of sustainable practices. The goal is to model urbanization by soliciting feedback from different stakeholders within the community. The main objective of this study is to determine how community engagement influences the rate at which sustainability efforts progress in simulation. The research uses a participatory methodology, including stakeholder interviews, meetings, and conversations. The research was conducted in Kurunegala and consisted of three primary phases: framework development, effectiveness testing, and lesson documentation. The framework entailed establishing the computational region, designating predictors, evaluating sub-models, constructing scenarios, and evaluating results. Using CA-Markov cellular automata, agent-based modeling (Net-Logo), the Cellular Automata Python model, and MOLUSCE-QGIS, the study modified the FUTURES model to incorporate stakeholder-based knowledge into urban growth modeling. This study emphasizes the need for bottom-up strategies to achieve long-term sustainability by recognizing the worth of community involvement. When stakeholders in a community are given the opportunity they need to succeed, they are more likely to develop into advocates of transformation and supporters of sustainability initiatives.