Interactive Marine Spatial Planning: Siting Tidal Energy Arrays around the Mull of Kintyre

The rapid development of the offshore renewable energy sector has led to an increased requirement for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and, increasingly, this is carried out in the context of the ‘ecosystem approach’ (EA) to management. We demonstrate a novel method to facilitate implementation of the EA. Using a real-time interactive mapping device (touch-table) and stakeholder workshops we gathered data and facilitated negotiation of spatial trade-offs at a potential site for tidal renewable energy off the Mull of Kintyre (Scotland). Conflicts between the interests of tidal energy developers and commercial and recreational users of the area were identified, and use preferences and concerns of stakeholders were highlighted. Social, cultural and spatial issues associated with conversion of common pool to private resource were also revealed. The method identified important gaps in existing spatial data and helped to fill these through interactive user inputs. The workshops developed a degree of consensus between conflicting users on the best areas for potential development suggesting that this approach should be adopted during MSP

An agent-based micro-simulation framework for modeling of dynamic activity-travel rescheduling decisions

The simultaneous implementation of daily activity-travel schedules of individuals in a given spatial environment generally gives rise to time- and location-varying congestion levels, which affect the conditions for subsequent activity and travel choices. Although such dynamics are commonly recognized, current activity-based models typically ignore the adaptive behaviour of individuals. In this article, we propose an agent-based simulation system that allows one to simulate, in addition to activity-scheduling behaviour, also the execution of schedules in space and time. Congestion levels at specific times and places emerge in the system and may lead to discrepancies between scheduled and actual activity and travel times. Agents respond to such unforeseen events by reconsidering an existing schedule (within-day re-planning) and by adapting their expectations about traffic conditions for subsequent days (learning). The system is illustrated using the activity-travel diary data collected in the Eindhoven region, the Netherlands, to better understand the choice of urban parks in the study area. We discuss the merits of the system for transport and spatial planning and identify avenues for future research

A Spatial Decision Support System for Provision and Monitoring of Urban Green Space

A spatial decision support system for the planning, design and maintenance of  urban green space is presented. The objective of the system under  development is to assist local authorities and green space administrators to  strategically enhance the supply of urban greening with the right type and  variety of green space that maximizes public welfare. The system is being  developed starting from a modelling perspective and GIS functionalities are  added conform the needed analysis and subroutines within the system. The  system has been written in the C++ Borland Builder 5 programming  environment. GIS capabilities and dynamic mapping are added using  MapObjects 2.0. 

GRAS: a spatial decision support system for green space planning

No abstract