Performance Planning System Review

by Ashley Calabria, MLA, University of Georgia Faculty, College of Environment and Design, Caldwell Hall, Athens, Ga.
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The software interface is extremely easy to read, with simple icons and large fonts.

Performance Planning System (PPS) software and educational support is an innovative application that allows the user to lay out commercial and residential land developments based on computational factors of spatial information critical for larger scale sustainable development.

Developed by Rick Harrison and thoroughly explained in his supporting book Prefurbia, those factors are based on three major categories, the 3 E?EUR??,,????'?????<

• Economics: Make sure the development is economically feasible.
  
• Existence: Make design decisions that enhance the livability of the users.
  
• Environment: Develop land using low-impact strategies.
  

The Shapes Function lets you select the roadways by their color and provides the user with instant square footage. This is an excellent feature, given that most CAD programs use lines to outline the roadsides, but not allowing a quick internal calculation of paved area.

The PPS Interface
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The Menu bar includes the more common menus: File for saving, Edit for modifying features, and Topography for contour control. This area also includes zoom capabilities, simple layer information and user defined characteristics.

The workspace is large and clear with no graphic interference from toolbars. On the right hand side are three simple windows: The Information Window provides instant feedback on commands and spatial entities within the drawing.

The Functions Window holds the primary drafting tools, which can be controlled with custom features in the Options Window below.

The software is designed to compute and draw at an accuracy that is usable by engineers and surveyors. Base maps can be imported from AutoCAD. PPS can easily and quickly post surveyor units and distances to ensure the base map includes accurate geometry, but also identify any discrepancies in overall site area or bearings provided by the surveyor. Contours can also be imported. PPS can generate a quick digital terrain model, indicating lower contours in red and higher contours in green, alleviating the potential of misreading contour intervals.

Road layout is easily done by drawing the anticipated road centerline using a series of lines, and then allowing PPS to generate arcs with a user defined radius. PPS displays arc options adjacent to the centerlines drawn and can be added on to the existing centerline line segments. Once the road centerlines (including arcs) have been defined, the streets function reads those centerlines and automatically includes road widths, right-of-way space and a sidewalk option that can be adjusted by the user.

The Shapes function lets you select the roadways by their color and provides the user with instant square footage. This is an excellent feature, given that most CAD programs use lines to outline the road sides, but not allowing a quick internal calculation of paved area.

The Shapes option is also used for the creation of lots. When spatial shapes are created in PPS, attribute information, such as surface area, cost, and environmental features like pervious and impervious surfaces can be tagged to those shapes by using the Fill Setup feature. When drawn on the plan, instant feedback is provided in the Information Window, allowing for quick decisionmaking and adjustments. Texture and color can be added to those shapes for higher quality final presentations. Beyond drafting for final drawings and presentation, there are some other features that are unique to PPS.

The Report Function takes the attribute data from the shapes and provides instant feedback about your design decisions and checks geometry corrections for accuracy. The Green option under Report allows the user to compare impervious and pervious areas.

The Report Function
PPS calculates the design factors of the 3 E?EUR??,,????'?????<

A quick selection from the Topography menu can read the DTM and display an overall slope analysis or highlight a user-defined slope range and display hydrology directions.

The Topography Menu
The Topography Menu has an array of ideal instant display and analysis functions. Using an existing topographic map with assigned elevations, a digital terrain model can be quickly generated and from there adjustments can be made in interval, color or visual preference. A quick selection from the Topography menu can read the DTM and display an overall slope analysis or highlight a user defined slope range and display hydrology directions.

The Report Function tabulates lot information in sq. footage and acreage.

Review
The PPS application itself is relatively easy to use, but what makes PPS really unique is the educational component.

The concepts behind the 3-E?EUR??,,????'?????<

The only complaint I would have is that the tutorials (both online and the hardcopy manual) skip around and do not continuously flow through the development of a single project, thus losing the flow of connection for the entire process. This could make completing a real project more time consuming until the user becomes more proficient with the application, But overall, with a price tag just under $2,000, it is a fun and easy way to look at large-scale land development created by a team of passionate, creative and environmentally sound individuals.

For more information on Performance Planning Systems, please visit: www.performanceplanningsystem.com