Michele Campagna

The Socioeconomic Impact of the Spatial Data Infrastructure of Lombardy

In this paper we present the findings of a study undertaken by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in collaboration with the regional authority of Lombardy, in northern Italy, on the socioeconomic impact of the spatial data infrastructure (SDI) of that region. The study took place in 2009 and focused primarily on assessing the benefits of the SDI to the organisations outside public administration, that is, developers and consultants involved in planning, design, and impact assessment. We report the results of two surveys undertaken in 2009. The first addressed consultants involved in the preparation of environmental impact assessments and strategic environmental assessments, and found significant economic and policy benefits resulting from the use of the regional SDI. The second survey focused on professionals involved in planning and design (architects, engineers, planners) and found a much more varied landscape characterised by lack of awareness and skill in taking advantage of the new infrastructure of analytical tools. The results of this study demonstrate that the maturity reached by some of the existing SDIs now makes it possible to evaluate tangible benefits, and act as an incentive to analyse further how SDIs are producing positive externalities. The knowledge gained by monitoring the impacts of on-going SDI initiatives can be used to justify investments ex post, and inform further SDI development and wider positive impacts.

Evaluating Geographic Information Provision within Public Administration Websites

The authors are concerned with the provision of public sector geographic information (GI) and the use of GI technologies (GITs) within public administration websites, with particular reference to planning. Results of a survey carried out by the authors on an Italian case study are evaluated with respect to the GI content and technology adopted. A rapid evaluation method is proposed to analyse and compare GI/GIT-diffusion frameworks within public administration at the national level.

The Role of Social Media Geographic Information (SMGI) in Spatial Planning

This contribution reports on ongoing research carried on by the authors on the role of Social Media Geographic Information in spatial planning, design, and decision-making. Explicit and Implicit Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) from social media platforms, namely Social Media Geographic Information (SMGI) resources, were used to explore novel methods and tools for analysis and knowledge construction. The results concern three main research streams carried on with the common feature of integrating social media and other volunteered and authoritative sources of information from Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI). These findings demonstrated that the integration of SMGI with more traditional Authoritative Geographic Information (A-GI) may offer a high potential for eliciting pluralist knowledge for spatial planning.

The Geographic Turn in Social Media: Opportunities for Spatial Planning and Geodesign

This paper introduces the concept of Social Media Geographic Information (SMGI) as an emergent pluralist source of information which – it is argued- may find valuable application in spatial planning and Geodesign. On the base of empirical research, the author proposes a tentative framework for SMGI Analytics in spatial planning. Among other methods, Spatial-Temporal Textual Analysis (STTx) is proposed as a tool to investigate people perceptions and interest in space and time. Possible implications and benefits of SMGI analytics for the planning practice emerge from the overall discussion.

PSS design: a general framework perspective

The paper presents a tentative framework for Planning Support System (PSS) design. The aim is to aid planners to fully exploit the potential offered by the introduction of Spatial Information Technology into planning practice. The framework proposed is based on a taxonomy of PSSs, which offers different conceptual models useful to adapt a general PSS model to different planning processes. The taxonomy is intended to set the application domain on which planners and developers may enhance the dialogue in system requirements analysis. A case study is proposed to illustrate the framework application and a perspective for further research development is given.

Geodesign: Lost in Regulations (and in Practice)

Recent outcomes of a trans-disciplinary debate spreading in America, Europe and Asia among scholars and practitioners in spatial planning, urban design, landscape architecture, and Geographic Information Science, propose the concept of Geodesign as a framework for planning and design aiming at addressing some of the most urgent issues of sustainable growth. Geodesign entails the application of methods and techniques for planning sustainable development in an integrated process, from project conceptualization to analysis, simulation and evaluation, from scenario design to impact assessment, in a process including stakeholder participation and collaboration in decision-making strongly relying on the use of digital information technologies. As such, Geodesign may help to put into practice the methodological innovation brought by Strategic Environmental Assessment in planning process that often, so far, failed to be properly implemented. In the light of the above premises, this paper aims at offering critical insights as a contribution to bridge the gap between Geodesign concepts and both spatial planning regulations and practices, with reference to the Italian case study. The analysis is intended to contribute to offer a better understanding of both normative and methodology issues for a fruitful application of Geodesign principles. Making a more explicit linkage between policy principles and planning, may possibly contribute to foster innovation in education, governance and practices to move towards more sustainable processes of savvy growth, which is one of the main goals in smart city governance.

Geodesign from Theory to Practice: From Metaplanning to 2nd Generation of Planning Support Systems

This paper deals with the concept of Geodesign, a new approach to spatial planning and design which is grounded on extensive use of Geographic Information Science methods and tools. As a method Geodesign is intended to inform projects since their conceptualization, to analysis and diagnosis, to design of alternatives and impact simulation, and eventually the final choice. This approach appears particularly urgent and actual to many scholars from academia and practitioners from the industry and the planning practice for advances in GIScience nowadays offer unprecedented data and tools to manage territorial knowledge for decision-making support. The author argues research in Geodesign may contribute to solve major actual pitfalls in sustainable spatial planning: namely it may offer methods to help planners to inform sustainable design alternatives with environmental considerations and contextually assess their impacts; secondly, it may help to ensure more transparent, responsible, and accountable democratic decision-making processes. The argumentation is supported by the author recent research results with regards to the evolution from 1 st generation Planning Support Systems (PSS), to metaplanning and 2 nd generation PSS.

Geodesign from theory to practice: in the search for Geodesign principles in Italian planning regulations

Geodesign is a trans-disciplinary concept emerging in a growing debate among scholars in North America, Europe and Asia with the aim of bridging the gap between landscape architecture, spatial planning and design, and Geographic Information Science. The concept entails the application of methods and techniques for planning sustainable development in an integrated process, from project conceptualization to analysis, simulation and evaluation, from scenario design to impact assessment, in a process including stakeholder participation and collaboration in decision-making strongly relaying on the use of digital information technologies. As such, the concept may be not entirely new. However, it is argued here, its application have not reached expected results so far. Hence, more research is needed in order to better understand methodological, technical, organizational, professional and institutional issues for a fruitful application of Geodesign principles and method in the practices. In line with the above assumptions, this paper is aimed at supplying early critical insights as a contribution towards a clearer understanding of the relationships between Geodesign concepts and planning regulations. The auspice with this first endeavour along this research issue is to make a more explicit and robust link between policy principles and planning, design and decision-making methods and tools, possibly as a small contribution to bring innovation in the planning education, governance and practice.

Geoinformation technologies in sustainable spatial planning: a Geodesign approach to local land-use planning

This paper presents a Geodesign tool supporting collaborative decision-making in Strategic Environmental Assessment of Local Land-use Planning. The tool consists of a Planning Support Systems implementing a spatial DPSIR model, which allows the real time interaction among plan alternatives design, impact evaluation and documentation. The Planning Support System demonstrates the opportunity for innovation in spatial planning, design and governance given by the availability of Spatial Data Infrastructures. The study proposed in this paper concerns the Sardinia (Italy) case study, but the results can be generalized to other regions in Europe and worldwide.

Complex Networks Analysis of Commuting

The emerging new science of networks is providing an elegant paradigm for the characterization of the broad area of complex systems. New research perspectives have been opened in the study of many real phenomena and processes, and recently fields like urban, regional, and environmental sciences have gained new insights from the tools provided by network science. The complex networks analysis (CNA) becomes a useful framework in these fields to disentangle problems of a complex and unpredictable nature.