# Scene-Aware Urban Design: A Human-AI Recommendation Framework Using Co-Occurrence Embeddings and Vision-Language Models

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.06201 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.06201/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 3 of its 13 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 9 Nov 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Learning Transferable Visual Models From Natural Language Supervision](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.00020/) (2021)
- [Grounding DINO: Marrying DINO with Grounded Pre-Training for Open-Set Object Detection](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.05499/) (2023)
- [Insights Informed Generative AI for Design: Incorporating Real-world Data for Text-to-Image Output](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.15008/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

This paper introduces a human-in-the-loop computer vision framework that uses generative AI to propose micro-scale design interventions in public space and support more continuous, local participation. Using Grounding DINO and a curated subset of the ADE20K dataset as a proxy for the urban built environment, the system detects urban objects and builds co-occurrence embeddings that reveal common spatial configurations. From this analysis, the user receives five statistically likely complements to a chosen anchor object. A vision language model then reasons over the scene image and the selected pair to suggest a third object that completes a more complex urban tactic. The workflow keeps people in control of selection and refinement and aims to move beyond top-down master planning by grounding choices in everyday patterns and lived experience.