E.S. van Leeuwen

The multifunctional use of urban greenspace

This paper calls attention to the critical role of greenspaces in cities, while it overviews the many functions they provide. From a theoretical perspective, the utility function of urban greenspaces concerns multiple dimensions. Temporal, spatial and social aspects clearly need a taxonomic approach, which is also described in this study. Thus, the prominent goal of this paper is to highlight the importance of the multifunctional use of urban green areas. It is next argued that multitasking strategies may enhance the use of farmland within urban areas and that this may turn out to be a win—win situation, provided urban planners are able to understand the different motivations of local communities. These basic issues are essential in identifying and mapping out attractive developments for modern urban greenspaces.

Decision-making capacity of elderly patients assessed through the vignette method: Imagination or reality?

This article evaluates whether providing hypothetical or realistic information influences the assessment of decision-making capacity in elderly patients with (and without) cognitive impairment. Decision-making capacity was assessed by means of a clinical vignette that presented a choice about whether to undergo an endoscopic procedure. The following standards of decision-making capacity were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively: ability to evidence a choice, to understand, to reason, and to appreciate a situation. The vignette was presented to patients in either a hypothetical or real situation. In the hypothetical situation cognitively impaired patients performed significantly poorer than cognitively non-impaired patients on all abilities associated with decision-making capacity (with the exception of evidencing a choice). The realistic situation showed the same pattern among cognitively impaired and non-impaired patients in their ability to understand and in the total vignette score. Both types of patients reasoned about and appreciated the realistic situation equally well. Qualitative analysis revealed that patients gave comparable answers in both hypothetical and realistic situations. The answers were not related to standards of decision-making capacity. Moreover, personal circumstances were taken as a reference point for making a decision, regardless of the situation. We did not find any major differences between the hypothetical and realistic situation. Our findings do raise questions about the validity of hypothetical vignettes, however, especially when used with cognitively impaired persons.

Multi-Agent Systems: A Tool in Spatial Planning An Example of Micro-Simulation Use in Retail Development

Abstract In planning research and practice, many different tools are used to understand spatial situations. As Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) are models that can include communicative qualities along with more analytical qualities, we argue that it can be a useful tool in spatial planning. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to show the possibilities of multi-agent systems (MAS) in spatial analysis and decision-making processes in the field of spatial planning. We illustrate its potential by discussing a basic example of spatial retail developments at a local scale in the Netherlands. The conclusion is that MAS, in fact, can include relevant analytical qualities that are missing in other instruments. Particularly, the power of showing spatial dynamics and relations, and as such providing “relatively reliable” information about complex (future) spatial developments, can be seen as an analytical and communicative quality, which can be very useful in spatial planning.

A microsimulation model for e-services in cultural heritage tourism

Tourism is on a rising curve from both policy and research perspectives. This paper presents new research advances on individual tourist behaviour and motives, with particular reference to the role of e-services in cultural heritage tourism. An innovative tool adopted here is (spatial) microsimulation modelling (MSM). This method is used to offer a micro-based picture of the motives and behaviour of the total tourist and resident population concerned, including their preferences and personal characteristics. MSM is a novel but hitherto little used scientific tool in the behavioural analysis of cultural heritage tourism, mainly because of the lack of detailed and consistent (spatial) information on tourist flows and their characteristics at an urban scale. MSM is a powerful tool: one of its advantages is its ability to link existing databases and information, so as to provide new behavioural insights at the meso-level of research. To trace the motives, preferences and spatial behaviour of tourists empirically, advanced micro-based research techniques are needed. In this empirical application to tourist flows in the city of Amsterdam, the authors use factor analysis and ordered logit models as the foundation stones for the design of MSM. The empirical model is then applied to the use of e-services by tourists in Amsterdam who wish to enjoy the cultural heritage of the city.

Integrated river basin project evaluation: a comparative study

Projects carried out in river basin areas often impose changes in spatial functions that are situated in these areas. For decades, project evaluation was carried out by measuring tangible streams of cost and benefits summarised in a cost-benefit analysis. Recently, environmental and social aspects gradually have got more attention in the public decision making process by means of, for example, multi-criteria analysis. This method is a tool to evaluate the scores of totally different indicators with the great advantage that they do not necessarily have to be expressed in monetary or even quantitative terms. In this paper, we carry out a comparative analysis of evaluation techniques used in the appraisal of projects carried out in river basin areas. We will analyse the relationships between the evaluation technique chosen and various project characteristics. The analysis of such relationships is done by means of rough set analysis. For this analysis, projects concerning river basins, carried out in different river regions of Europe, with different kind of problems are selected, ensuring a degree of diversity.

Body of knowledge and the ontology of the body.

The notion of competence in A Philosophical Basis of Medcial Practice presents a problem concerning the ontology of the body. This paper will maintain that an ontology of the body can only be based upon Cartesian grounds whereby the scientific knowable order is supposed to be identical to the natural order of things. Moral questions are not a part of this order and depend upon free will. Foucault has demonstrated that such a dualism between nature and morality cannot be warranted for contemporary medical practice. Medical science does not derive its foundation from a natural order but from the order of knowing which is present in the body of knowledge (episteme). This body of knowledge is the significative cultural force in the way of looking at problems of disease, life and death. Thus in contemporary medical practice, concepts of morality and competence which are based on notions of free will, shall be discarded as non-sensical, even for the patient.