Google Earth based visualization of Dutch land use scenarios: beyond usability

This contribution describes GESO, a tool to prepare a Google Earth visualization of the Dutch land use scenarios as created by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. This Google Earth (GE) for the Sustainable Outlook tool, named GESO aims to be an effective, easy and low cost way to study Sustainable Outlook data via an interactive 3D visualization that integrates the land use icon and landscape feature approach as presented in the VisualScan study. The concept, implementation and usability of GESO are explained, concluded and discussed. The paper starts to explain the context of GESO and the intention to visualize 3-dimensionally land use changes (Al-Kodmany, 2001; Borsboom- van Beurden, 2006; Lammeren, 2004). Out of this context the concept of GESO is presented (architecture). It combines two Dutch authorized datasets (AHN and Top10Vec) into a semi-3D dataset. The impact of the tiling of these data is discussed as well. Secondly the tool transforms these semi 3D data and the Sustainable Outlook results, as created via LUMOS, and linked with 2D- and 3D-objects, into KML files. The KML files, to be viewed by GE, offer the user different levels of detail and combinations of current and future land use to be presented 2D and 3D (visualization). The usability (Sheppard, 2001, Hudson-Smith, 2005) of GESO is explained via the questionnaire that has been offered to many policy makers on different administration levels. The preliminary outcomes of this questionnaire will be presented as well. The type of application and its results will be discussed with reference to comparable approaches. References: Al Kodmany, K. (2001) Supporting imageability on the World Wide Web: Lynch's five elements of the city in community planning. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design. 2001;, 28, 805-832. Borsboom,-van Beurden, J.A.M. (2006), Linking land use modelling and 3D visualisation. A mission impossible In: J. van Leeuwen and H. Timmermans, Innovations in Design and Decision Support Systems in Architecture and Urban Planning, pp. 85-102. Hudson-Smith, A., S. Evans and M. Batty, 2005, Building the Virtual City: Public Participation through e-Democracy, Knowledge, Technology & policy, (18)1, pp.62-85. Lammeren, R. van, R. Olde Loohuis, A. Momot, and S. Ottens, 2004,, VisualScan: 3D visualisations of 2D scenarios, CGI-report 2004-09, ISSN 1568-1874, Wageningen Sheppard, S.R.J., 2001. Guidance for crystal ball gazers: developing a code of ethics for landscape visualisation. Landscape and Urban Planning 54 (1-4): 183-199

An assessment of the impact of climate adaptation measures to reduce flood risk on ecosystem services

Measures of climate change adaptation often involve modification of land use and land use planning practices. Such changes in land use affect the provision of various ecosystem goods and services. Therefore, it is likely that adaptation measures may result in synergies and trade-offs between a range of ecosystems goods and services. An integrative land use modelling approach is presented to assess such impacts for the European Union. A reference scenario accounts for current trends in global drivers and includes a number of important policy developments that correspond to on-going changes in European policies. The reference scenario is compared to a policy scenario in which a range of measures is implemented to regulate flood risk and protect soils under conditions of climate change. The impacts of the simulated land use dynamics are assessed for four key indicators of ecosystem service provision: flood risk, carbon sequestration, habitat connectivity and biodiversity. The results indicate a large spatial variation in the consequences of the adaptation measures on the provisioning of ecosystem services. Synergies are frequently observed at the location of the measures itself, whereas trade-offs are found at other locations. Reducing land use intensity in specific parts of the catchment may lead to increased pressure in other regions, resulting in trade-offs. Consequently, when aggregating the results to larger spatial scales the positive and negative impacts may be off-set, indicating the need for detailed spatial assessments. The modelled results indicate that for a careful planning and evaluation of adaptation measures it is needed to consider the trade-offs accounting for the negative effects of a measure at locations distant from the actual measure. Integrated land use modelling can help land use planning in such complex trade-off evaluation by providing evidence on synergies and trade-offs between ecosystem services, different policy fields and societal demands

UPDATE OF THE NEAC MODAL-SPLIT MODEL

INTRODUCTION The NEAC model and information system consists of models and methods for constructing databases describing the current freight transport flows and for developing forecasts of future freight transport flows. NEAC describes all intra-and inter-regional freight transport in Western and Eastern Europe by transport mode and by commodity type. Results are expressed in total weight of the goods. In NEAC, a classical four step modelling approach is used. This approach consists of the following steps: 1. Trade and transport generation; 2. Regional distribution; 3. Mode choice; 4. Route choice/assignment. The third step, the model for mode choice, is the subject of this paper. In 2005, NEA carried out a research project to update the NEAC modal-split model. This paper presents the assumptions, highlights the results and also mentions the differences between the previous and the new version. The goal of the research project was to develop a model that could replace the outdated modal-split model. As well as the calibration of updated parameters, the aim was to also incorporate the transport mode short sea in the model. To achieve this NEA has developed and calibrated a completely new model. An analysis of the effects of the new NEAC modal-split model on forecasts of main European transport flows is presented. The modal-split model for freight transport within the TRANS-TOOLS research project 1 is based on the new NEAC model. The goal of TRANS-TOOLS, which is co-funded by the European Commission (DG-TREN) under the 6th Framework Programme for Research and Development, is to produce European transport network models to overcome the shortcomings of current models. THE NEAC MODEL AND INFORMATION SYSTEM The NEAC model and information system is the collection of the databases and models which are described below. These modules are linked through their input and output. The basis of the system is the NEAC base year database. Several national and international trade and transport data sources are the input for the construction of the database. Several techniques are used to combine different data sources into one database. The idea behind the construction of the database is that trade flows determine transport flows. A trade flow is the economic activity between a production region and a consumption region. A transport flow is the shipment of commodities from a ©Association for European Transport and contributors 200