Computer-implemented land planning system and method

A computer-implemented land planning system designed to generate at least one conceptual cost-optimized solution to a user-defined land development problem, said system comprising:

• a processor configured to electronically creating at least one candidate solution to the land development problem, said candidate solution comprising a plurality of interrelated engineering cost measurements applicable in development of a land site, and said plurality of engineering cost measurements being selected from a group consisting of demolition, clearing, grubbing, excavation, fill, retaining walls, erosion control, finish grading, exporting earth, importing earth, drainage, pond height, parking lot design, access roads, paving, curbs, gutters, asphalt, landscaping, drop inlets, manholes, pipes, pipe size, pipe paths, storm water collection system, sanitary sewer collection system, and potable water system;
• said processor further configured to employing a heuristic problem-solving strategy utilizing nonlinear processes to manipulate the engineering cost measurements of said candidate solution until at least one cost-optimized solution to the land development problem is achieved, whereby a change to one of said plurality of engineering cost measurements for said candidate solution effects a change to another of said plurality of engineering cost measurements for that candidate solution;
• and
• an output device configured to transmit output data illustrating the cost-optimized solution to the land development problem, wherein said cost-optimized solution comprises a site plan applicable for use in development of the land site.

A computer program product including program instructions tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium to cause a computing device to perform a method designed to generate at least one conceptual cost-optimized solution to a user-defined land development problem, said method comprising:

• using a computer, electronically creating at least one candidate solution to the land development problem, the candidate solution comprising a plurality of interrelated engineering cost measurements applicable in development of a land site, and the plurality of engineering cost measurements being selected from a group consisting of demolition, clearing, grubbing, excavation, fill, retaining walls, erosion control, finish grading, exporting earth, importing earth, drainage, pond height, parking lot design, access roads, paving, curbs, gutters, asphalt, landscaping, drop inlets, manholes, pipes, pipe size, pipe paths, storm water collection system, sanitary sewer collection system, and potable water system;
• using a computer, employing a heuristic problem-solving strategy utilizing nonlinear processes to manipulate the engineering cost measurements of the candidate solution until at least one cost-optimized solution to the land development problem is achieved, whereby a change to one of the plurality of engineering cost measurements for the candidate solution effects a change to another of the plurality of engineering cost measurements for that candidate solution;
• and
• transmitting the cost-optimized solution to the land development problem, wherein the cost-optimized solution comprises a site plan applicable for use in development of the land site.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the processing logic, cause the processing logic to perform a method designed to generate at least one conceptual cost-optimized solution to a user-defined land development problem, said method comprising:

• using a computer, electronically creating at least one candidate solution to the land development problem, the candidate solution comprising a plurality of interrelated engineering cost measurements applicable in development of a land site, and the plurality of engineering cost measurements being selected from a group consisting of demolition, clearing, grubbing, excavation, fill, retaining walls, erosion control, finish grading, exporting earth, importing earth, drainage, pond height, parking lot design, access roads, paving, curbs, gutters, asphalt, landscaping, drop inlets, manholes, pipes, pipe size, pipe paths, storm water collection system, sanitary sewer collection system, and potable water system;
• using a computer, employing a heuristic problem-solving strategy utilizing nonlinear processes to manipulate the engineering cost measurements of the candidate solution until at least one cost-optimized solution to the land development problem is achieved, whereby a change to one of the plurality of engineering cost measurements for the candidate solution effects a change to another of the plurality of engineering cost measurements for that candidate solution;
• and
• transmitting the cost-optimized solution to the land development problem, wherein the cost-optimized solution comprises a site plan applicable for use in development of the land site.

A computer-implemented land planning method designed to generate at least one conceptual cost-optimized solution to a user-defined land development problem, said method comprising:

• using a computer, electronically creating at least one candidate solution to the land development problem, the candidate solution comprising a plurality of interrelated engineering cost measurements applicable in development of a land site, and the plurality of engineering cost measurements being selected from a group consisting of demolition, clearing, grubbing, excavation, fill, retaining walls, erosion control, finish grading, exporting earth, importing earth, drainage, pond height, parking lot design, access roads, paving, curbs, gutters, asphalt, landscaping, drop inlets, manholes, pipes, pipe size, pipe paths, storm water collection system, sanitary sewer collection system, and potable water system;
• using a computer, employing a heuristic problem-solving strategy utilizing nonlinear processes for manipulating the engineering cost measurements of the candidate solution until at least one cost-optimized solution to the land development problem is achieved, whereby a change to one of the plurality of engineering cost measurements for the candidate solution effects a change to another of the plurality of engineering cost measurements for that candidate solution;
• and
• transmitting the cost-optimized solution to the land development problem, wherein the cost-optimized solution comprises a site plan applicable for use in development of the land site.