Map-based decision support tools for collaborative land use planning

Rietveld, P. [Promotor]Janssen, R. [Copromotor

Map-based multicriteria analysis to support interactive land use allocation

This article focuses on the use of map-based multicriteria analysis to develop a negotiation support tool for land use allocation. Spatial multicriteria analysis is used to make explicit trade-offs between objectives and to provide guidance and feedback on the land use changes negotiated by the participants. Digital maps are the means of communication among workshop participants, and an interactive mapping device (the 'Touch table') is used as the interface. Participants are informed about the relevant trade-offs on the map and use this information to change the land use maps. The approach is tested during a negotiation session as part of the land use planning process of the Bodegraven polder, a peat meadow area in the Netherlands. © 2011 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

Spatial decision support for collaborative land use planning workshops

This article describes a series of collaborative land use planning workshops for a peat-meadow polder in the Netherlands. Three interconnected planning workshops were conducted with stakeholders: a design, analysis and negotiation workshop. Stakeholders were invited to work together and carry out planning tasks using spatial decision support tools implemented in an interactive instrument (the 'Touch table'). Goals, participants, tasks and tools were different for each workshop. The series began with a design workshop, in which stakeholders used drawing tools on the Touch table in order to transfer and process local knowledge. Next, in an analysis workshop, stakeholders used spatial multicriteria tools to combine different types of expert knowledge and generate feedback for quantitatively evaluating land use scenarios for the polder. The series ended with a negotiation workshop, where stakeholders used interactive land use allocation tools collectively on the Touch table to reach a consensus land use plan for the polder. Results from surveys conducted at the end of each workshop indicated that participants found the tools appropriate for a workshop setting. It is concluded that digital maps can be used effectively to support three different types of collaborative planning workshops that are a part of an ongoing land use planning process. Important aspects in the design of the workshops included the selection of participants, level of detail and complexity of spatial information provided and a balanced formulation of workshop assignments. © 2012 Elsevier B.V

Decision support tools for collaborative marine spatial planning: identifying potential sites for tidal energy devices around the Mull of Kintyre, Scotland

The expansion of offshore renewable energy production, such as wind, wave and tidal energy, is likely to lead to conflict between different users of the sea. Two types of spatial decision support tools were developed to support stakeholder workshops. A value mapping tool combines regional attributes with local knowledge. A negotiation support tool uses these value maps to support stakeholders in finding acceptable locations for tidal energy devices. Interactive value mapping proved useful to address deficiencies in data and to create credibility for these maps. The negotiation tool helped stakeholders in balancing objectives of the various stakeholders

Spatial evaluation of ecological qualities to support interactive land use planning

Information on ecological qualities can play an important role in land-use planning. This information is not always in a form that is suitable to support planning and negotiation among stakeholders. In this paper we describe an approach that uses ecological information based on expert knowledge in combination with spatial multicriteria analysis. Important elements of this approach are selection of evaluation criteria, assessment of scores, standardization, weighting, and aggregation. The approach was tested as part of the land-use planning process of the Bodegraven polder, a peat meadow area in the Netherlands. An interactive mapping device (the 'touch table') was used to support a series of interactive workshops with the various stakeholders to generate, assess, and discuss land-use plans for the Bodegraven polder. This paper shows the use of ecological information to support decision making and negotiation

Effectiveness of collaborative map-based decision support tools: Results of an experiment

This article reports on the results of an empirical analysis of the effectiveness of a set of collaborative spatial decision support tools developed to support a land use allocation problem in a peat-meadow polder in the Netherlands. The tools feature spatial multicriteria analysis as the means to make spatially explicit trade-offs between stakeholder objectives in three different ways: as colors on multiple printed maps, qualitatively on a single digital map and quantitatively on a single digital map. An interactive mapping device is used as the interface between spatial information and participants. A series of controlled experiments was conducted with 30 participants, who were asked to use the tools and perform specific individual and group allocation tasks. Data on the responses of the participants were collected through questionnaires, observer notes, video film and multicriteria scores. The analysis focused on three aspects of effectiveness: usefulness of the tools; clarity of tool information; and impact on decisions. The findings of this analysis are discussed within the context of the information offered by the tools, individual and collaborative work of participants and the spatial and numerical quality of the resulting land use plans. From the experiments, it is clear that the cognitive effort related to the volume and format of information is a critical issue in spatial decision support. This holds true for both the level of detail per item of information and the amount of information to be supplied to the participants. Although the quantitative tool provided the most information, the participants did not consider this tool the most useful and it did not produce the best results. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd