CFUm3

CFUm3 stands for Common Framework for Urban Modeling, version 3, an open-source software framework designed to support urban planning, simulation, and policy analysis. Conceived by the Urban Dynamics Alliance and first released in 2020, CFUm3 provides a modular platform that integrates geographic data, building stock information, transportation networks, energy and water demand models, and environmental impact assessment tools.

CFUm3 employs a modular architecture centered on a core simulation engine and a set of plug-in modules. Its design emphasizes interoperability, reproducibility, and policy experimentation. The core handles time stepping, synchronization of heterogeneous models, and data exchange, while modules implement traffic flow, energy demand, land use, and climate impact calculations.

Data interoperability is facilitated by a common CFU-DataSchema, enabling imports from CityGML, OpenStreetMap, energy databases, and weather feeds. The system supports scripting in Python for workflows and a Rust-based runtime for performance-critical tasks, with a REST API for external tools.

Development and governance: CFUm3 is community-driven, with maintenance and contributions coordinated on a public repository. The project publishes a yearly road map, versioned releases, and extensive example datasets to encourage reproducible analysis.

Applications and reception: Mid-sized cities and research institutions use CFUm3 to run urban development scenarios, assess transportation policies, and quantify environmental impacts. It has been recognized for openness and extensibility, though users note documentation gaps and a learning curve for large deployments.

Future directions: The 3.x series aims to improve cloud deployment, scalability, privacy controls, and integration with machine learning for rapid scenario analysis.