AI-generated knowledge in urban planning

Chatbots and professional planners’ expertise in responding to public queries

Bibliographic Data

ID17475015
AuthorsJustin B Hollander (0000-0001-5148-7902, Justin B. Hollander is a Professor at the Department of Urban Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University, 503 Boston Avenue, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA, ORCID iD, corresponding author), L W Schwartz (Tufts University), Lia Yamamoto Schwartz (Lia Yamamoto Schwartz is a Research Assistant at the Department of Urban Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University, 503 Boston Avenue, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA), Yuxin Zhang (0000-0001-6433-2678, Yuxin Zhang is a Research Assistant at the Department of Urban Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University, 503 Boston Avenue, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA;.)
Year2025
Volume97
Issue2
Pages125-139
Publication date2025-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTown Planning Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0041-0020 • E-ISSN: 1478-341X
PublisherLiverpool University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.3828/tpr.2025.23
OpenAlexW4412817470
LanguageEN
References cited32

Even as the public use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has surged recently, its potential as an accessible source of general urban planning knowledge has remained understudied. This article collects urban planning questions on the Reddit social media platform and compares the quality of answers provided by verified professional planners with responses generated by ChatGPT. We find that our panel of expert evaluators preferred AI-generated responses over those provided by registered planners. This study is the first step in verifying the quality of knowledge on social media and comparing the knowledge base of generative AI to professional planners

Business · Civil engineering · Knowledge management · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Urban planning · Computer Science · Engineering · Human Mobility and Location-Based Analysis · Mobile Crowdsensing and Crowdsourcing · Smart Cities and Technologies

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