## 1 Introduction  
With more than half of the global population now residing in urban areas ([[https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/overview](https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/overview)]([https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/overview](https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/overview)), accessed on 27 September 2024), urban planning and design are fundamental tasks in shaping the quality of life in cities [1,2] and are closely related to sustainability development goals (SDGs). They provide essential infrastructure to promote social unity and environmental sustainability [3,4]. These tasks influence every aspect of urban life and are essential for creating functional and efficient cities. Effective planning ensures that cities have well-designed transportation networks, adequate housing, and accessible amenities such as parks, schools, and healthcare facilities. This not only improves the overall liviability of cities but also enhances economic productivity by reducing congestion and improving access to opportunities [2]. Moreover, urban planning and design are critical for promoting social equity and inclusivity [5,6]. By ensuring that neighborhoods are well-connected and provide equal access to services and resources, urban planners can help reduce socioeconomic disparities and create more equitable cities. This includes designing public spaces that are accessible to people of all ages and abilities and fostering mixed-use developments that promote social interaction and diversity [2]. Additionally, these tasks are crucial in addressing environmental challenges such as climate change and pollution [7,8]. Sustainable urban design principles, such as green building practices, efficient public transportation systems, and green spaces, can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and enhance urban resilience to climate-related risks. Hence, these tasks are integrated with resilience principles for greater benefits [9; 10]. However, adapting urban planning and design strategies poses challenges that require innovative solutions [11]. These challenges include community engagement, information gaps, and uncertainty, among others. Thus, holistic perspectives are required to tackle several urban life aspects in urban planning. For example, a detailed analysis of integrative approaches across different sectors is required for the transition to climate neutrality [12]. These approaches are not limited to targeting renewable energy power but integrate other issues related to transport as well as industry. Decision makers worldwide, including those in advanced nations, are confronted with achieving sustainable environmental configurations, resulting in increased energy consumption, environmental degradation, pollution, inefficient infrastructure and resource management, inadequate decision-making, and socioeconomic inequalities [13]. As a result, several initiatives have been identified to facilitate the integration of urban planning and design solutions [14]. In this context, key performance indicators (KPIs) are defined to evaluate the insight of selected solutions in urban planning and design strategies [15]. KPIs represent data that need to be linked to business strategies and objectives. For instance, [PERSON] et al. [16] studied smart cities and proposed a KPI-driven evaluation framework. Their approach aims to evaluate the sustainability of cities in a holistic way. Also, [PERSON] et al. [17] analyzed KPIs related to transportation and logistics in Barcelona. In their study, they used these KPIs to provide recommendations for policymakers regarding sustainable mobility. Nowadays, the Internet of Things (IoT) replaces the traditional ways of collecting data and storing them [18]. Additionally, the technologies in IoT enable the visualization of the collected data. The data trigger the utilization of advanced techniques for their analysis and visualization, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and, in particular, machine learning (ML).